Eddy Brown and the Titan's Blade
by Afroman007
Summary: What are the Olympians hiding? What are the Titans after? And why is it ALL centered around mystical weapon of power known as: The Titan's Blade? And where are Percy and his friends during all this?Join Eddy Brown and his friends as they venture on a quest to answer these questions and more!
1. Chapter 1

**Author Notes: **

**How's it hanging, people of Fanfiction? Afroman007 here with my first fanfic! Please review, as I love critiques and this story is for your entertainment, and I'd love to hear what you guys think about it! **

**A bit of background: Expect this to be a fairly long story. Also, for those of you looking for PJaTO characters, I PROMISE they will appear SOMEWHERE in the story. There's A LOT to set up before I drop the bomb on what I'm planning for Percy and the gang! **

**So without further ado, here's the first chapter!**

**Chapter 1: I Am Given a Piece of Jewelry **

Look, I never _asked_ to be a half-blood. It wasn't on my 'things-I-wanna-be-when-I-grow-up list'. I _definitely_ didn't want to be the target of angry mythological figures (who are real by the way), and have to watch my back anytime I stepped off my apartment stoop.

Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry. My name is Eddy Brown; and this is my story.

I should probably start off by telling you that I'm 13 years old, and have been kicked out of more schools in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area than anyone else I know. I'm not a bad kid or troubled, although, a lot of teachers would disagree. I just: well…I struggle. See, I have ADHD, and it makes it really hard for me to pay attention to things and sit still. I have enough trouble understanding anything my teachers tell me, and I'm always doing something to make them mad at me. Like, tapping my feet or drumming my pencil on the desk, needless to say, I get kicked out of class: A LOT. It doesn't help that I fail a lot of tests too. Honestly, I can't win. It's either flunk out, or get kicked out in my book.

Anyways, I'm in the 7th grade at The Winchester Thurston School. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: and it's just as stuck up and snobby as it sounds. See, I feel like part of the reason I don't fit in at school, is because I'm not a rich kid. I live with my mom in a small apartment across the Allegheny River in a town called Sharpsburg. I have to commute in, but there are school buses, so thankfully I don't have to get embarrassed by my mom dropping me off and trying to give me a kiss on the cheek in front of the school. Ugh, just thinking about that is making me ill.

So, like I was saying before: Winchester Thurston. Not really much to say about the place, except it's filled to the brim with over-privileged kids. Now, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having money, but these kids are usually pretty stuck-up and always make fun of me for wearing second-hand clothes. I don't really care though, it'd be worse if they knew that my play clothes at home looked even worse than my slightly dirty jeans and off-color hoodies.

There are two people at W.T that I do like. First: my best friend Jacen Darklighter. We're kind of the social outcasts of the school. And my mom always says: birds of a feather flock together. I suppose she's right. Jacen is a bit taller than me, and has kind of a crazy hairdo. His hair is bright red, and spiky. Like he's trying to be like that lead singer from Green Day. Anyways, his eyes are a weird shade of blue, almost purple and he has a light complexion. He's always wearing T-shirts with something sarcastic on it, like: What time is it? Time for you to get a watch! Stuff like that. He thinks it's funny, and I guess I do too, but when you see him wear the same shirt for about a week after he gets it, the joke fizzles out. Jacen is the class clown at school. He's always making jokes, and more often then not, he and I spend our time out in the hallways after getting in trouble. He's a cool kid though, and he gets that just because we're a bit different than other kids it doesn't make us bad.

Second: there's our music and theatre teacher: Mr. Phoebus, or as we call him: Mr. P. He's this twenty-something year old guy with wavy blonde hair and startling blue eyes. He dresses like those guys you see in Hollister ads, real casual and cool, and his personality is the same way. He likes to refer to the class as dudes and dudettes. Mr. P has us doing this unit on mythology right now, and for an ADHD kid, I've got to say he has a way of explaining things that even keep ME interested. For example, the other day, he told us this myth about how the sun god Apollo fought against this nasty monster called Python and slew it. The way he told the story made it sound like he was actually there: watching the whole thing. In fact, when Mr. P talks about mythology, it always sounds like he's talking from experience. But that's crazy: I mean, the dude is seriously cool, but he's only like 13 years older than me! How could he know? Mr. P loves music too. The guy can play like, every instrument ever made! It's seriously insane. I mean; I really like to play the guitar. In fact, my mom plays and she lets me fiddle around on it from time to time. According to her and Mr. P, I'm pretty decent. She says she named me after a famous musician, but I'd rather NOT talk about whom. Besides, I don't ever go by my FULL name. Its not a normal name, I know that much. By, the way: it's NOT Edward. And, I'd rather NOT give these kids any more ammunition to make fun of me.

* * *

><p>The school day started out like every other day. It was mid October, so the leaves were all different shades of red, yellow, and orange and it was kind of cold out. I caught the bus at my stop on 6th Street and N. Main, and sat in the back, next to the window. I stared at my reflection in the early morning light and my own face stared back. Dark skin, tight curls of black hair, and the feature that always seems to make people distrust me: bright, golden-yellow eyes. I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how I ended up with an eye color like that. My mom doesn't have eyes like mine, so I'd assume they're from my dad. Heck, my mom and I went to see a specialist about it when I was little, and even he seemed baffled. When the doctor asked my mom who my father was and if he shared the trait she just nodded. The doctor seemed more interested by that and asked if my father could possibly explain more. I'll never forget the pained look on my mom's face as he said that, and I guess the doctor felt really bad, because he dropped the subject. To this day, I'm not sure why my eyes are the way they are.<p>

The thing is, anytime I ask about my dad and why he isn't around, my mom says the same thing:

"You'll meet him someday Eddy."

"But who is he? Where is he?" I'd always ask. At this point, my mom would always look up at the sky or ceiling and smile wistfully.

"Oh, he's watching over us. Like I said, you'll meet him some day. He is a great man."

By this point, I just gave up asking. I mean, was I mad at my dad for not being around? Yeah, I guess. But, the thing is, I've always had my mom. I never lacked for attention or love. The way my mom said that too, made me think maybe he passed on. Besides, even if he didn't die, if my dad were to come back into our lives now, I don't know what I'd say.

"Oh, hey. What 'sup dad. Where've ya been?"

Honestly, it's probably better that he's not a part of my life.

* * *

><p>The school bus turned around the corner on Penn Avenue and we made our way up into Bloomfield. As we passed a bus stop, an older lady looked right at me and waved cheerfully. At first, I didn't register why, but then I realized I had seen this woman before. Two years ago, a bully knocked my brown bag lunch onto the ground when we lived here in Bloomfield. The older woman kind of just appeared and offered me a big plastic bag and helped me throw out the lunch on the ground. She told me to keep the bag and when I opened it, it was full of fresh fruit and a few ham and cheese sandwiches: my favorite. I went to thank her and say I couldn't take it, but she just vanished. Like, POOF. When I was younger stuff like that happened all the time. Once, when my mom and I went grocery shopping, my mom stopped to talk to a middle-aged man in a wheelchair. They seemed to know each other and when he turned to me, he smiled super big at me. That kind of freaked me out, but my mom said that he's an old family friend and that we would see him around sometime. Another time, a younger woman with black hair tied in a very formal bun –like a ballerina- stopped by me while I waited for the bus last year and talked to me as if we were old friends. I felt like I should know her, but I just couldn't for the life of me figure out from where. She had the same kind of sparkle in her eye when she spoke to me that my mom got when she talked about my dad.<p>

I was brought back from my thoughts when the weight on the bus seat shifted next to me. I glanced over to see a coy looking Jacen grinning at me. I rolled my eyes. Here come his morning jokes.

"Heya Eddy!" he said cheerfully.

"Yo, what's up Jacen?"

"The sky," he replied, not missing a beat. "Everyone knows that."

I thought that falling victim to one of Jacen's plays-on-words would spare me from having to endure his lame jokes all morning, but I was wrong. Jacen says that he uses me as his warm-up, so he can be at top form when we get to school. The lame jokes continued all the way up to Baum Boulevard, where we picked up my least favorite person at school: Jake Malsen.

Jake Malsen was W.T's 'official' bully. He was a mean, acne-riddled kid with pale, watery eyes and light brown hair. He was tall and skinny, but don't let that fool you: he can pack a wallop if he ever knocks you down in the hall. Which for Jacen and I, was like, every day. Jake hangs out with the dumber of the football players, the one's that follow his lead. He's the quarterback for the school team. I don't know if he's any good, because I've never bothered to watch the games. I nudged Jacen while he was in the middle of a really bad 'your mom' joke, and chin-pointed to the front of the bus where Jake was getting on. Jacen shut up real quick at that.

See, Jacen is the funny guy, but that's only really at school. His home life: kind of stinks. He lives with his mean old grandma because his mom died in a plane crash. She was a pilot for one of those big airliners, and Jacen secretly told me once, that he wanted to be a pilot of some kind when he got older. Jacen acts like a goof in my opinion, because he doesn't want people to know that he isn't always as happy-go-lucky as he acts. I mean, I know how to see through him, but that's just because we've known each other since the 3rd grade. He also said that his grandma told him that his dad was some kind of hooligan and that he left after his mom gave birth to him. I mean; that's harsh. I know I've never met my dad, but at least my mom said he was a good person. Jacen doesn't really talk about home much, but I can tell he likes being away from there, even if it means he has to deal with Jake Malsen everyday.

Jake saw us sitting in the back and started making his way towards us. I groaned. The other kids turned away from his gaze or began to talk in whispers to each other. They knew that as long as they didn't provoke him, Jake would leave them alone. Problem was: Jacen and me seemed to provoke Jake just by existing. Typical.

"Well, well, well," Jake sneered as he turned around from the seat in front of us. "If it isn't dweedledee and dweedledum."

"Go away Jake." I growled. I'm not really one to pick a fight ever, but I really don't like it when Jake calls Jacen or me names. Jake's eyebrows rose in challenge.

"I don't feel like it," he spat, "What're you going to do about it?"

"Ask politely?" Jacen added in. I glared at him and he gave me a 'what-did-you-want-me-to-say' kind of look. Jake sniggered.

"Cute Darklighter," Jake said sarcastically. "So, you dweebs know what's going on today in school? Probably not, since you've got no friends except each other."

I ignored Jake's comment and thought about it. Mr. P was also our homeroom teacher. By that, I mean Jacen and me. I remember him saying something about music being cancelled for some event, but I was in such a hurry to get out of class for lunch I didn't hear the rest. I looked at Jacen and he shrugged. Figures, he was right behind me.

Jake seemed to pick up on our confusion because he rolled his eyes with a cruel smirk and said:

"The pep-rally dweebs. You know, for my team in the Homecoming game this weekend?"

Jacen made a very smart 'oh! Of course' kind of a look, and I grinned slightly. He could always get his knocks in on Malsen in the sneakiest ways.

"So?" I finally responded. "What about it?"

Jake didn't seem to like my answer too much because he turned in his seat after calling us a few choice names and then made his way up to sit with his stupid friends. Jacen balled his fists around his backpack straps.

"I REALLY hate that guy." He said. For a moment I thought his fists were smoking, but I realized that it was kind of cold on the bus, so it must've been our breath. I nodded and we sat in silence for a bit.

"Do you wanna ditch?" Jacen asked as we turned onto Morewood Ave. I glanced at him skeptically.

"No way man," I said, "Mr. P watches us like hawks. He'd be the first to know if we tried to skimp out on an assembly."

Jacen shrugged.

"True. He always does seem to know somehow."

* * *

><p>Our bus was one of the last to get to the drop off area at the front of the school. As usual, Jake and his goons bumped us as we got off the bus and then pushed through Jacen and me to get into the school. Honestly, one of these days I might just pop him a really good one in the nose.<p>

We made it to our lockers and shoved our backpacks inside. I noticed that the backpack straps on Jacen's bag looked frayed somehow, like someone took a lighter to them.

"Dude," I said looking at the bag, "You really need to get a new bag, look at your straps!"

Jacen gave me a weird look before he looked at them and frowned.

"Crap. No kidding."

We made it to homeroom and sat down at our desks. Luckily, we sat by each other, so it never felt too awkward in class. If we didn't, no one would talk to us because we were Jake's favorite punching bags, and they didn't want on his hit list. Literally, that is.

As usual, Mr. P had his feet propped up on his desk at the front of the room and was reading this morning's newspaper. He told us he didn't care much for the news, but liked to read the horoscopes. Jacen always joked that Mr. P was looking for love advice. Not that the guy needed it.

When the bell rang, Mr. P sat up, folded his newspaper and gave us his 100 mega-watt smile, which as usual had the guys groaning and the girls swooning. He clapped his hands together.

"G'morning dudes and dudettes! As you know from yesterday, music and theatre class is cancelled today because of the pep rally. But that doesn't mean that I can't quiz you on a few things before we head off to the gym!"

Everyone groaned. Mr. P just smiled wider.

"But first, let me take roll call!"

He went down the list, marking us off as we said, "Here!" and stopped on names when he noticed people were absent.

"Oh, poor Mary Ellen," he tisked, "So she really came down with a fever after all. And it looks like Michael must've hurt his ankle at hockey practice last night, hope he's feeling alright."

This was one of the really weird things about Mr. P. Okay, I know you're probably thinking, 'What do you mean?' Well, Mr. P has this weird thing of always knowing exactly WHY someone isn't in class. It's not just when he knows why you're absent, he even seems to know what you're REALLY doing when you ask to use the bathroom during lessons.

"And Suzie is probably talking to her boyfriend at his locker again. Mr. Scholls is going to mark Davey absent again if they keep this up…"

And, just as he finished, the same girl, Suzie came barreling through the classroom door completely out of breath and huffed:

"S-sorry, Mr. P, I w-was in the bathroom and…"

"No," he replied smoothly, "I don't think your boyfriend's locker counts Suzie," her face got even redder.

"B-but, how?" she stammered. Mr. P just grinned.

"Take a seat, dudette."

She did, while all of us chuckled and sniggered.

After Mr. P finished checking off his attendance sheet he started a pop quiz on mythological stuff. Most of the class got it wrong, but I felt like I knew quite a bit. It was the only subject besides music that I've ever really taken to.

"Okay, who can tell me the name of the famous hero," Mr. P began, "Who traveled to the Underworld to save his wife's soul from Hades by paying for her soul with his music? Don't get him confused with the other hero, another son of Apollo."

I groaned. I knew the answer of course. I just didn't want to have to answer. But of course, Mr. P's eyes sparkled as he made eye contact with me. I took a big sigh and:

"Oedipus, son of Apollo." I answered blandly. "NOT to be confused with King Oedipus."

Oedipus was my full name. That's the reason why I didn't use it if I didn't have to. I usually went by Eddy or just Ed if I could. I mean, I didn't even know where my namesake came from until I learned about the hero Oedipus' story in Mr. P's class. Then, when he went on to explain about the KING named Oedipus, I was mortified. After that lesson, I went home and begged my mom to tell me that she DIDN'T name me after the king. She asked why I was so bothered by it and I told her. She laughed and went on to explain that she named me for the Hero Oedipus, that was so talented in music he was able to bring the Lord of the Dead to tears. Of all the names though, I get stuck with the one about two really tragic stories. And more often than not, people assume I'm named after the more famous Oedipus, the one that killed his dad and married his mom. Not cool.

Mr. P smiled and nodded at me.

"Very good, 'Eddy'. The way he said my name made me remember that Mr. P knew what my full name was. I groaned as I put my head down on my desk.

"Okay, next question," Mr. P continued, "What was Hephaestus the god of? Anyone?"

Mr. P scanned the room again and locked eyes with Jacen who shifted awkwardly.

"Ah, Jacen," he said fondly, "Looks like we've got another dude who shares a name with a mythical hero!"

"Ha-ha, Mr. P, but my name's not spelled the same way!" Jacen said with a strangled kind of voice. Jacen wasn't stupid. I knew that he liked mythology lessons almost as much as I did. I didn't understand why he looked so awkward when Mr. P asked him the question. Then again, everybody was giving each other odd looks like: are you named after a mythological hero? I was just glad everyone seemed to be too dumb to put two and two together just now.

"Well, Jacen?" said Mr. P patiently. Jacen gulped.

"He was the God of Forges."

Mr. P's eyebrows rose.

"And…?"

"H-he was the God o-of fire."

Mr. P gave Jacen a sympathetic look. I totally understood why. If my mom died in a plane crash, and I wanted to be a pilot when I got older. I'd be scared to die the way my mom did. Jacen told me once that when they recovered his mother's body it was badly burned. Fire makes the guy super nervous. Even pictures. Honestly, I don't think I've ever felt so bad for the guy. I smiled at him for getting the answer right; he gave me a 'thanks' kind of a look.

Mr. P asked a few more questions, which were a lot more straightforward and then clapped his hands together again.

"Okay! That's enough of that! Let's all head down to the gym and get some decent seats for the rally!"

We all filed out in a big swarm, but Mr. P called Jacen and me back to him. We turned around and jogged toward the classroom door where he was waiting. He looked at Jacen first.

"Sorry about that Jacen," he said sincerely. Jacen just nodded. "But," Mr. P continued, "You should know that to be afraid of something that makes you who you are is dangerous. When we don't accept who we are, then we fall apart at the seams. Trust me."

Jacen gave Mr. P an awed look, as if he were just seeing the guy for the first time. He stood a little straighter and nodded at him. Mr. P motioned for Jacen to catch up to the class. He looked at me and I said that I'd meet up with him and to save me a seat. Mr. P grinned down at me. With his looks, many of the girls in our school wondered why he would want to teach music and theatre when he could just go be a famous musician or model.

"And, as for you Mr. Oedipus Brown."

I groaned out loud.

"Mr. P," I said with a sigh, "It's Eddy. We've been through this!"

Mr. P just laughed and patted my shoulder.

"You know, being named after a mythological hero isn't necessarily a bad thing! In fact, it makes you more unique! Like your eyes! How many kids can say they have eyes like yours, eh?"

I looked at my reflection in the classroom door window and was returned with two golden orbs glancing back. I sighed again.

"I don't like being different, y'know." I said quietly so Mr. P wouldn't hear, but he seemed to understand what I murmured perfectly.

"Like with Jacen," he began, "Being different is part of who you are. You could change your eye color with contacts, or change your name; but the person who you are inside doesn't change; or at least, it shouldn't. Be proud of who you are: Oedipus Brown."

I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. Mr. P was seriously one cool teacher. He always knew just what to say to make me feel better about anything.

"Before we head off to the rally, there's one more thing I want you to have, actually."

I glanced at him curiously. Mr. P chuckled at my expression and reached up for the inside of his shirt collar. He tugged a thin silver necklace out and undid it in the back so it came off. Funnily enough, I never even noticed that he wore jewelry. If the girls knew that, they'd probably swoon over him more. When it was off, he placed it in my hand.

It looked like a normal silver necklace, thin and connected by almost microscopic looking chain links. It gleamed in the light from the sun filtering through the windows making the silver look golden colored, like my eyes. Connected at the end, like where a cross, or a locket would be, was a silver half-moon looking thing with a stick coming out from the bottom of the moon.

"It's a sickle," Mr. P said like he was reading my confusion. "They were used for harvesting, and was the symbol of one of the most powerful immortals."

I thought it was a nice gesture and all, handing me a necklace, with mythological content, but I didn't really understand why Mr. P would give it to me. Like he was reading my mind again he continued:

"Someone very dear to me gave me that necklace for safekeeping. He said that one day, I'd find someone who would need it more than I would. Every time I wear it, it reminds me of him and that he never let anyone try and change who he was. Our talk just now reminded me of a talk I once had with him where he told me the same things I just told you pretty much. So I want you to have it, Eddy."

I was speechless. I took the necklace and placed it in my pocket, where no one else would see it. I didn't want the other teachers to assume I stole it from someone. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a thief.

"Thanks, Mr. P." was about all I managed to get out.

He grinned and ruffled my hair, like what I'd seen a father do with their sons when they do something right. The thought made me feel somewhat sad.

I noticed that while I was thinking, Mr. P was walking away from me down the hallway. He stopped about ten feet from me with his back turned and said:

"One more thing Eddy."

I straightened at his tone. It sounded much more serious than I had ever heard Mr. P speak before. It was unnerving.

"You and Jacen watch out for each other. You'll need each other more than you think; especially from this day and onward."

You know the weirdest part of Mr. P's statement wasn't his cryptic warning, or the fact that his voice was so serious to me, or that I had no idea what he could possibly mean. No, the weirdest thing was, the way he said all of that, made it sound like after today, I wasn't going to see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Our School Pep-Rally is Crashed By A Monster**

I didn't have much time to really get to think about Mr. P's message OR about the necklace he'd given me because of my jerk of a History teacher: Mr. Scholls. I guess he must've thought I was up to no good because he practically manhandled me down to the gymnasium. I couldn't help but think how lucky I was that he didn't tell me to turn out my pockets, because I seriously wouldn't be able to get him to believe Mr. P just _gave _me a nice looking piece of jewelry with no strings attached. Boy, would I find out that the 'no string's attached' part was _wrong_.

I was almost the last person to get inside the door of the gymnasium. Which meant that I had to really look around to spot Jacen, who was waving at me from one of the back rows. He was sitting next to a bunch of disgruntled looking Goth kids, who were obviously unhappy with him sitting near them. I made my way up the stairs, narrowly missing the foot stuck out by Jake Malsen. I glared at him and made my way beside Jacen and sat down.

The school was completely decked out in our school colors: blue and yellow, with flags and banners with a big red lion on it. I should mention the Lions are our school team, not like I really care. Down on the gym floor a bunch of cheerleaders were dancing to a fight song played by our really bad school band. Just listening to them, it made me wonder why Mr. P didn't just take over and play all the instruments. And as I thought that, I turned to Jacen and told him what Mr. P said and showed him the necklace.

"Whoa," he breathed, "That's pretty expensive looking to just hand off to a student, don't you think?"

"No kidding," I said, "and what do you think he meant by, we need to watch out for each other?"

Jacen looked down at the cheerleaders and winced when one of them screamed a cheer through a malfunctioning megaphone.

"I don't know," he murmured, "Maybe he means we need to watch our backs from people like Malsen and his goons. I mean; you're the only friend whose back I've got to look out for."

The way he said it, made me feel really bad. Even though we were in the same boat in terms of friends, my life compared to Jacen's was slightly better. My mom was great; the neighborhood kids weren't bad, at least they didn't make fun of me. Jacen's grandma never had a nice thing to say about him, and he lived in an area where there weren't many kids his age.

"Maybe," I said quietly. The Goth kids were giving us weird looks for talking so loud. "But, why did it seem like Mr. P was saying goodbye? It's only the beginning of the school year. He couldn't have gotten fired, right?"

Jacen yawned loudly as he watched a cheerleader do a really big tumbling pass.

"No way," he said, "Teachers and students _love_ Mr. P. they'd sooner make us honor roll students than kick him out or fire him."

I nodded in agreement. Mr. P was really well liked. If that was the case though then why couldn't I shake the feeling he was going away for good?

My thoughts were interrupted as the school principal, Mr. Waters turned on the microphone on the podium and began to talk about how great of year we're going to have, and how he hopes the football team does stellar this season (I saw him give Jake Malsen an approving nod. It made me furious.) And all the other hogwash schools try to feed you to make you work harder. I'd been in too many schools and heard too much of that stuff to believe it anymore. What can I say? I'm jaded.

Mr. Waters went on to announce the arrival of our school mascot, Leon the lion and there was a huge amount of applause. Honestly, I thought the whole thing was really stupid, but Jacen started cheering and hollering and I couldn't help but join in.

Everything was going awesome until we heard someone yell in fright. Of course, that got everyone's attention and we all turned toward the boy's changing room where Leon the lion would come out. There was a pause and then a guy, probably in the 8th grade, came barreling out of the locker room in half of his lion's costume screaming about a 'real lion'. Everyone laughed, thinking it was part of the program, but I didn't. I felt a weird tingle that something bad was about to happen.

* * *

><p>You know? I really hate it when I'm right. No sooner had I felt the weird tingle, a giant something came speeding out of the locker room and stopped in the corner. It snarled and everyone froze.<p>

"IS THAT A REAL LION?!" Someone from below yelled.

"NO, IT'S A TIGER!" Someone from across the stands bellowed.

"That thing isn't either one, really." Whispered Jacen. "Eddy, do you see what I'm seeing?"

I gulped and nodded. The creature on the gymnasium floor was _huge_. It had to be at least 8 feet tall and 10 feet long. It stood on four legs, like a lion, and it _did_ have a lion's head. But that's where the similarities ended. For starters, only the _front_ was a lion, it's _back_, a giant snake, and in the middle of its body was a goat head. I had absolutely NO clue how the rest of the school couldn't see that, but I described the creature to Jacen quickly and he looked at me with wide eyes.

"So you _can_ see it?" he breathed. I nodded.

"What is that thing man?"

"No. Freaking. Clue."

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the lion head reared back and roared. The roar was terrifying, but even more so, was the fact that _as_ it roared, it unleashed a huge stream of fire from its mouth that torched the ceiling.

And cue: _chaos_. People began frantically screaming and running for the exit. I wasn't surprised to see some of the teachers, mainly Mr. Scholls pushing kids out of his way in his hurry to get out of the gym. People were falling over themselves, the banners were catching fire, and it looked like something I'd seen in a horror movie. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to me.

"Eddy, Jacen!"

I turned my head and saw Mr. P standing at the foot of the stairs beckoning to us. He was glancing at the monster with a look of utter annoyance, which struck me as odd. I didn't have time to think about it though. Just as he called out to us, a blast of fire hit the wall above our heads missing us by no more than five feet. I could feel the heat sear on the back of my head. Jacen and I practically leapt down the stairs to where Mr. P was.

"Thank the Gods you're all right," he said, "Now, we need to do something about that Chimera over there, or else the mortals are going to get hurt."

Jacen made a face like he just been sucker punched.

"Did you say a _camera_!? That looks _NOTHING_ LIKE A CAMERA!"

If possible, Mr. P looked even more annoyed.

"No dude," he yelled over the chaos, "A CHIMERA! As in the creature born of Orthrus and Echidna?"

"WHO?" I asked. I had no idea what was going on. Or for that matter why Mr. P thought it'd be a good idea to expand our mythological knowledge while a crazy lion-snake-goat monster torched the gym.

Mr. P shook his head.

"NO TIME DUDES," he bellowed. "That thing is going to lock on to your scents now that it's so close. Eddy, you still have that sickle necklace I gave you?"

I nodded.

"You need to flick the sickle part and…"

"Why do I need the necklace?"

"Just do it! There's no time to explain!"

To tell you the truth, I still can't believe this next part happened. I pulled the sickle necklace out of my right pocket and flicked the sickle dangling on the chain. All of a sudden the sickle began to grow until it was a five-foot long, curved sickle-blade. The handle was at least three feet long, was wrapped in some kind of leather, and if I weren't so surprised, I would've said it was snug and comfortable in my hands. It gave off a golden gleam while I held it. I must've looked like an idiot because it took Mr. P snapping his fingers in my face to get me to stop gawking at the weapon in my hands.

"Mr. P, what?" I stammered, longing for an explanation. He shook his head again at me and turned to Jacen who was looking at the weapon I was holding in shock as well.

"Look dudes," Mr. P said quickly, "I'll explain once we get out of this mess, but I'm going to get in a lot of trouble if I try to fight directly with you. I can help from the sidelines, but if I get involved, I'll be in a lot of trouble when I get home!"

I couldn't believe this. Mr. P, my favorite teacher of all time, honestly expected Jacen and me to take on that monster thing!? I didn't know how to fight with a weapon! Heck, I can hardly fight with my fists! Jacen looked like he was going to hurl right then and there. He was greener than I would get when my mom tried to make meatball surprise, emphasis on the 'surprise'. I figured it had something to do with the fire blazing all around us. Mr. P put his hand over Jacen's head. There was a faint golden glow and color returned to Jacen's face and he stood straighter.

"Battle sickness," Mr. P mumbled, "Happens a lot when you first start to fight monsters." His face paled and he yelled, "Jacen! Look out!"

I could only watch on in horror as Jacen was hit by a column of fire from the Chimera, who was now stalking toward us from the other side of the gymnasium. I was shocked. The only friend I'd ever had was gone, all because of some monster that decided to crash our school pep-rally? Seriously? I felt sadness for only a moment before it was replaced by white-hot anger. And then, as if things couldn't get any crazier:

"Hey, it worked! Thanks Mr. P!"

I whipped my head around in shock. There in the flesh before me was Jacen! His clothes looked singed, but his skin didn't have a mark on him. If I weren't so hyped up on so many emotions and adrenaline, I would've sworn that both of his hands were ignited in white-hot flame. I also thought it was a good thing _he_ didn't know that. I started toward him to let him know about his hands. I turned and saw Mr. P with his hands outstretched from the other side of me. He looked absolutely relieved.

"Thank the Gods I made it in time Jacen," he said seriously. "If you didn't unlock your powers right now; you'd have been ashes."

Jacen's face paled and he gulped. He then looked at his hands and yelped:

"MY HANDS ARE ON FIRE!"

He fumbled around for a few seconds, and then, just as I reached him to try and help, we both noticed that he wasn't being burned.

"Jacen," I croaked in disbelief, "I think. I think you're fire resistant!"

He looked down at his hands in shock and a bit of fear and then up at the Chimera.

"I wonder if I?" He held out both of his hands like he was going to catch a football and the flames that were ignited on his arms shot off with the speed of a gunshot. Jacen flew backward into Mr. P's arms, knocking them both down.

I heard a roar and whipped around. I hoped Jacen and Mr. P were all right, but if this thing got any closer we were in _major_ trouble. I watched as the monster was trashing in pain from Jacen's fire barrage on its face. And I got an idea. A really bad idea; Like, the dumbest thing I've ever thought of doing. I charged while the monster was distracted.

I could hear Mr. P and Jacen shout out, but I had too much blood pumping in my ears to hear what they were saying. I dodged underneath a flailing paw and brought the sickle up and slashed. I don't know why, but fighting with the sickle, felt completely natural to me. There was a howl of protest and the snake at the back swung around and smashed into me hard. I fell back a few yards and staggered to my feet. Amazingly, I was still alive. I charged again, careful not to get too close this time. I had absolutely _no_ clue how I was doing it, but every time the monster tried to swing at me, I somehow knew to roll, dodge, and backpedal out of harm's way. I heard another gunshot-like sound, and like I had eyes in the back of my head, leapt out of the way to my left. Good thing too, because not a second later, a blast of fire hit the mid-section of the Chimera right where I was standing. I rolled up and glared at Jacen who was running towards me, his hands on fire again. He gave me an apologetic grin.

"Sorry?"

"Just warn me next time man!" I shouted.

We danced around the monster's swipes. I stayed pretty close, hacking with my sickle when I got a chance; while Jacen stayed a bit farther back peppering the monster's hide with flame blasts. I thought we were doing pretty well until the snake tail –or was it a snakehead-swung around again and knocked my feet out and I hit the ground with a thud.

Next thing I know I can smell rank breath on my face. I looked up and almost cried out. Right before my eyes, only a few feet from my face was a set of fanged teeth barred and ready to bite my head off. I tried to move, but two heavy paws kept me braced to the floor. I craned my head to see Jacen, a few feet away, trying to aim a fire blast, but I could tell he didn't want to accidently hit me. I don't know to this day if I was just feeling brave, or just really desperate, because I practically screamed:

"JACEN, SHOOT IT NOW!"

I guess Jacen understood me, because I heard him flame up and fire off a round of white-hot fireballs. I could feel the heat from the blast move past my face and next thing I know the Chimera's grip lessened on my arms and it reared back in agony.

I reared back the giant sickle blade in my hands and thrust it upward at the Chimera's chin.

There was a sickening 'slunking' sound, like when you accidently step in dog poop, and I pushed harder. The Chimera made a gurgling sound and then, it stopped moving.

* * *

><p>The next part was even weirder. You know in those movies when the hero kills a monster, and it just drops over dead? And he does that cool thing with his sword where he flicks the blood off, like it was no big deal? Yeah. That <em>didn't<em> happen. Instead, the Chimera burst into a huge ball of golden dust, that covered me head to toe. It smelled like rotten eggs, which wasn't pleasant at all. It took me a moment to realize that the creature (besides the dust) was gone, and even the dust was disappearing. I lowered my sickle and took a deep, shuddering breath. As I did, I noticed that the oversized sickle in my hand was shrinking back into a necklace again. Weird.

"Dude." I heard Jacen say. "That was pretty epic."

I couldn't help but grin a little. I didn't laugh because I didn't want to get monster dust in my mouth.

"You two did a great job!"

I turned toward Mr. P who was strolling towards us and talking like we just aced one of his music history tests. I couldn't help but feel furious with him. I mean, Jacen and I could've been _killed_ at least a million times, and here's Mr. P acting like he just watched a mildly entertaining movie!

"WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP US?!" I bellowed. I could feel the adrenalin leaving me and I felt exhausted. As Mr. P approached, he tried for an apologetic smile.

"I told you," he said, "I'll get in _big_ trouble with the big guy upstairs if I tried to step in and fight! I'm –strictly speaking- not allowed to assist with mortal affairs!"

"Mortal affairs?" Jacen said as he walked over. His clothes were tattered and singed. We both looked pretty beat up. Did I mention he looked as mad as me? "Mr. P, what ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?"

Mr. P held up his hands. "Look, I'll have someone who is much better at explaining this stuff, _DEFINITELY EXPLAIN_. But, first, I need to do something about all this mess!"

For the first time since the fight started, I looked around at the gymnasium. There were small fires burning everywhere (no doubt a combo from the Chimera and Jacen). The bleachers were smashed in some places, and banners were nothing but ashes on the ground. A basketball hoop was bent at a ninety-degree angle, and debris was EVERYWHERE.

I wasn't sure how Mr. P planned on covering this all up, but from the thoughtful expression on his face, and not a panicked one, he seemed to think it wasn't _too_ big of a deal.

"Okay," he breathed, "Here goes NOTHING!"

With a wave of his hand, everything seemed to reset in time. Fires went out, the basketball hoop went back to normal, banners and flags, and even the splintered risers changed back, like nothing ever happened. After a minute, the gymnasium looked like the pep rally hadn't even started yet. I almost thought if I opened the gym doors, which were now repaired, kids would start pouring in and finding seats!

Mr. P cracked his neck like he just got done reading over book reports and grinned at us.

"What do you think dudes? Not bad, right?"

Jacen looked at him like he was an alien. Then he shot me an apologetic look.

"No offense Eddy, but you have to admit. _That_ was _really epic_."

I couldn't argue with facts. It was really epic. But it raised some questions. Questions that I needed some answers to, or my head was going to explode. Mr. P seemed to read my mind (seriously, how does he do that?) and waggled a knowing finger at me.

"No time for questions yet, dudes," he said with a smile, "The police, fire department, and everyone else will swarm this place any time now. We've got to get outta here!"

Mr. P started to walk toward one of the emergency exits, that seemed to prop open as he approached it, and beckoned for us to follow. Jacen and I shared a look.

"Well, I see what he means by 'watch each other's backs' now." Jacen said sarcastically.

"I don't know if I want you to watch my back Jace," I replied in the same tone. "You almost burned it off, like twice."

Jacen rolled his eyes at me and started to walk towards the door after Mr. P.

"Everyone's a critic _Oedipus_, everyone's a critic."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: My Cool Teacher Gets Even Cooler**

It didn't take us long to catch up with Mr. P in the parking lot of the school. It also didn't us a long time to realize why he was so pushy about _needing_ to get away from the scene. There were cops _everywhere_. Not to mention fire trucks, and news vans. For some reason, as we walked with Mr. P, no one seemed to give us a second look. We even walked by Jake Malsen and _he_ didn't even look at us.

"Umm, Mr. P?" I asked. He glanced back my way as we dodged a pushy news crew trying to get closer to the school. "Why is it that _no one_ seems to notice us? I mean; my clothes and Jacen's are pretty torched."

Mr. P seemed to mull the question around for a bit before he answered cryptically:

"Mortals see what they _expect_ to see, Eddy."

Jacen snorted. He was trying to keep his shirt from falling to shreds.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like dude." He answered with a grin.

I figured Mr. P wasn't going to answer our questions about what happened at the school until he felt like it, even if it was going to drive me crazy. I mean, how do I go home to my mom and have her ask:

"How was school, Eddy?"

"Fine Mom."

"What did you do today?"

"Nothing much. Got a magic necklace that changes into a huge sickle sword thing, fought a Chimera with Jacen, who discovered he can shoot fireballs today and not get burned by flames, _and_ torched the school gymnasium. Oh, and Mr. P repaired everything with a wave of his hand like some sort of wizard and the whole gym is back to normal. What's for dinner?"

Yeah. No freaking way that'd go over well.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like forever in the cold, October air, we reached the teacher's parking area where I saw something that almost made me forget about my questions. Mr. P had just unlocked the alarm on an awesome looking Mustang. I don't know much about cars, but I know a cool one when I see one. This car was a golden color that was really easy on the eyes. Not like the yellow on the cabs that raced around Downtown Pittsburgh. It must've been customized to the max, because I'd seen some Mustangs before, and this one only had the overall body of one.<p>

"Whoa, sweet car Mr. P!" I exclaimed. Mr. P chuckled and placed his hand on the trunk lovingly.

"She's a real beaut, huh? My Grandfather had it made for me."

"Your grandpa, huh?" Jacen said with a little distaste. "I'm not a big fan of grandpas."

I figured he was talking about his mom's dad. Apparently, compared to his grandma, his grandpa was worse. He died of cancer or something when Jacen and I met, and I always remember that he didn't seem too broken up about it. Mr. P's eyebrows rose and his eyes got that sparkle they get when he's got one of those questions he likes to make me and Jacen answer.

"You'd actually _really_ like my Grandfather, Jacen. I know he'd be bummed if _you_ didn't like him!"

Jacen looked at Mr. P like he was leading him on.

"Okay," he sighed. "I'll bite, what's the punch line here?"

Mr. P shrugged.

"No punch line. He'd just like to meet someone like you, is all."

Jacen and I shared a look before Mr. P changed the subject.

"Okay dudes! First stop: your houses! I've gotta talk to your parents really quick!"

Jacen looked green again. I could guess why.

"Uhh," he said weakly, almost like he was pleading, "Can we not? Let's just go to Eddy's house. I'll call my Grandma from there!"

Mr. P looked like he would protest, but he seemed to pick up on Jacen's discomfort pretty quick because he then said:

"Eddy's place it is!"

Jacen perked up at once.

"OOH, SHOTGUN!"

I rolled my eyes and sat in the back seat.

* * *

><p>For some reason, the trip to my mom's and my apartment only seemed to take about a quarter of the time. I glanced out the window a few times and my jaw dropped. We zipped right down Baum Boulevard, right across the Bloomfield Bridge, down 40th St, and the 40th St. Bridge and we were already on Route 28 North before I had time to blink twice. Before I knew it we were pulling down Clay Street and stopped right outside the stoop to my apartment building.<p>

For once, I wasn't upset that I didn't get to ride shotgun. Poor Jacen had to get another one of Mr. P's magic 'healing hand' treatments to even stand up straight. I suppose, seeing everything blur by that quickly, would make anyone queasy. Mr. P looked absolutely fine, but that wasn't so surprising to me anymore. I mean; this guy, in the span of no less than two hours, had managed to turn my life upside down. It felt like only five minutes ago he was just a normal teacher taking attendance, and now he's like this even cooler teacher with a nice car and superpowers. If I weren't in shock, I might've asked if he was Superman or something.

Jacen and Mr. P waited as I fumbled around for my apartment key. I found it in the same pocket I had stashed the necklace Mr. P had given me. I took out both and examined them. The key looked so ordinary, but then again, so did the necklace.

"The key won't turn into a weapon, Eddy." Mr. P said with a chuckle. I felt my cheeks flush and felt like cursing that this guy could read minds along with whatever superpowers he had.

I unlocked the door and was relieved to feel that my mom had turned the heat on. After walking around outside in tattered clothes in the cold, you learn to appreciate the little things. Jacen smiled appreciatively at the homeliness of my apartment. I swear: my mom loves the kid enough that she'd jump at the chance to have him move in.

"Mom! I'm home!" I yelled out. The apartment wasn't very big, but still, I thought it'd be a smart thing to do in case she was in the bathroom or something.

"Eddy? Is that you?" my mom's voice replied from the living room. I could faintly hear the television. "Why aren't you at school?"

I heard footsteps and heard her approaching. As she rounded the corner she began to say:

"Please don't tell me you got expelled again! You said you would try harder son! And…"

And that was when she noticed my appearance. I must've looked worse than I felt or thought, because her caramel complexion turned paler and she rushed towards me. She examined me like a fragile piece of china.

"Oedipus Brown! What happened to you! WAS IT BULLIES? OH, I KNEW THOSE KIDS MIGHT HURT YOU! WELL, THEY'LL BE HEARING ABOUT THIS DOWN AT THAT SCHOOL!"

It was at this time that I heard Mr. P clear his throat and my mom stopped shaking me like a maraca and looked at Jacen and Mr. P for the first time.

Her eyes widened even more when she saw what Jacen looked like. I started to chuckle, knowing that my mom would harass the living crap out of him. She started forward, but Mr. P put his hand up to stop her. Jacen shot me a smug look. I glared at him, though I was pouting inside that my mom only embarrassed me in front of my cool teacher.

"Naomi, it's been a while." Mr. P said politely. My mom stood up and dusted herself off a bit. In my opinion, my mom is the greatest person I know. She has big chocolate colored eyes and always seems to have a kind smile on her face, but don't make her mad or you'll see that change _real_ quick. Her hair was a golden-brown color that fell down in dark curls to the small of her back. She was pretty, (in that I-am-not-Oedipus-Rex-so-don't-even-think-about-that) kind of a way. But she was everything to me. She worked so hard to make sure I could go to school. She worked part-time as a bartender down in the Southside of Pittsburgh, and her customers loved her. Her other job was working part-time as a secretary for an agricultural firm that made heavy harvesting equipment. And when she wasn't working, she was usually making sure I was okay. I always have to force her to take naps and to make sure she eats as much as I do. She's such a worrier, but I love her.

My mom smiled kindly at Mr. P in return

"Hello Apo…I mean Phoebus, it's been a while."

And don't think for a moment folks that I didn't catch that slip. I did, but at the time, I was so tired and happy to be home, I didn't think much of it. Apparently, Jacen didn't either, because he yawned loudly, getting all of our attention.

"S-sorry," he apologized. My mom's face went into what I liked to call: 'Super Mom Mode'.

"Eddy, Jacen, you two look like you're exhausted. Eddy why don't you go to your room with him and you two try to take a nap?"

I wanted to protest. I wanted to know how my mom and Mr. P knew each other like they were old friends, and I _really_ wanted to know just _what_ had gone on with that monster and Mr. P being a superhero, and just: _everything_. But Mr. P placed a hand on Jacen and my shoulders and I felt dead tired. Sleep sounded _awesome_. So, together we walked past the living room leaving my mom and Mr. P and walked toward my bedroom.

* * *

><p>My bedroom wasn't anything super exciting. It was painted red, which was my favorite color and decorated with things that I liked: which was a lot of posters of musicians I loved. Stevie Wonder, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, the list goes on and on. You could tell Jacen had known me for a while because as he pulled my small armchair forward from the wall, he stopped pulling and bent down to pick up a CD on my floor.<p>

"The best of Fleetwood Mac? Really shouldn't leave that on the floor, dude."

He yawned and set it on my nightstand as he pulled the extra comforter off my bed and wrapped himself up in it. I laughed a bit and crawled into my own bed. I turned a few times to get comfortable, well, as comfortable as you can get with scrapes, scratches, and minor burns and fell asleep.

Now, for those of you that don't know: one of the worst parts about being a half-blood is when you dream. And I'm not talking about those nice dreams or your creepy nightmare either. You get visions, is really the best way to put it.

I awoke floating in what seemed like an endless expanse of stars. Honestly, it looked like those satellite pictures you see of the Milky Way from far away in space. At first, I was ONLY confused by the location of my dream, and then the other person in my dream confused me: it was Jacen. He was just floating, his head hanging, sleeping without a care in the world. He looked up and seemed to go through exactly what I had just a few moments ago. Then our eyes met.

"What're you doing here Jace?" I asked. He looked offended.

"Me? You're the one in my dream!"

"Why are you dreaming about space anyways? Or why am I?"

"Eddy, you're starting to sound like those old Greek philosophers."

"Shut up, Jacen."

I tried to pinch myself to wake up, but I couldn't. I told Jacen to try the same thing and he got the same results.

"I don't think this is a normal dream, Jace." I said nervously.

Being the ever-present comedian he looked at me with a straight face and said:

"You're insight never ceases to _amaze_ me, Ed."

I would've tried to kick him, but the whole floating through a void thing was really messing up my sense of direction.

"WHO ENTERS MY PRISON?" said a booming voice so loud, I nearly cried out in pain. Jacen recovered first and tried and succeeded in making matters worse.

"Just two dudes floating through. Don't worry about us, Mr. Big Voice Guy."

There was silence and for a minute, I actually thought it worked. Jacen smiled winningly at me and I had the urge to rip off my sock and have it propel through the void and right into his face. But I didn't have to. In fact, Jacen seemed to understand that I was annoyed, because his face paled.

"Not so snarky now, are you Jace?" I laughed.

It took only a second to realize something was _seriously_ wrong. Jacen _never_ missed a snarky comeback if he could help it. I'd bet if I went to Jacen's funeral and called him a name, his ghost would pop up just to call me one back! But this was definitely _serious_. Jacen seemed frozen in fear and when I felt the presence of something behind me, I felt the same way.

It was like ages upon ages of anger, resentment, betrayal, and hatred were all forced through my body at the same time. I could see now why Jacen couldn't move. I felt like if I did, the feelings would overwhelm me completely and crush me into nothing. But, part of me didn't want to feel that way. There was a part of me almost yelling to resist, to fight it. And as I did resist, I felt stronger, less afraid.

Jacen must've gotten some kind of the same message because his expression went from 'oh-my-goodness-don't-hurt-me, to: more defiant. Finally, I felt like I had amassed enough courage to turn myself around and I did and then…

I froze again. I mean, you would've too. Because right before Jacen and me, was a gigantic eyeball. And it was staring right at us. In fact as I glanced at the iris, which was a strange kaleidoscope of colors: blue, green, red, brown, the list went on; I noticed that all of those feelings were reflected in the black sclera of the eyeball. Almost like some terrifying montage, I watched as it cycled through wars, famine and disease, pain, torture, and worst of all: betrayal by the ones you hold closest to you.

The strangest thing though, was how it blinked. When…what I guess was its' eyelid closed, it was as if the stars and the void around it were its' skin. Like _space_ was its' skin!

"That's so not cool." Jacen whimpered from behind me. I agreed completely.

The eye's iris moved around a bit as if it just woke up from a long nap. Finally it looked down and zeroed in on us. It narrowed making it look like space was distorting around the eye. I don't think I've ever seen something so weird and bizarre.

"IF I WAKE NOW…" began the booming voice again, making Jacen and I cover our ears. The problem was: I could still hear the voice clear as day. "THEN THAT MEANS THAT YOU TWO HALF-BLOODS ARE…"

Then, as if the moment could get any weirder, it just had to. Not to mention creepy. The booming voice began to quietly laugh. And the laughter grew louder and louder until I couldn't take it anymore and….

I awoke with a start to find both my mom and Mr. P looking over me. Jacen was already awake and staring at me with wide eyes.

"Eddy," my mom said gently, "Are you alright? You two were yelling in your sleep, and Jacen woke up and YOU DIDN'T AND I…"

I tried to control my panic. The dream had felt _so_ real. I tried to give my mom and Mr. P reassuring smiles.

"I'm fine mom. Just had a nightmare about…"

I looked up at Mr. P first. I didn't know if he had told my mom about what had _really_ happened at school today, and I _definitely_ wasn't going to tell her about the dream I _just_ had.

Mr. P nodded like he knew what I wanted to tell her.

"You know…about the Chimera, and stuff…"

Jacen looked at me like I had killed his pet fish, and I gave him a look across the room like: We'll talk later, _OK_? He seemed to get it, because he nodded very slightly.

My mom frowned and placed a soothing hand on my forehead. She sighed and looked at Mr. P with so much sorrow, I was almost sure she knew that I hadn't told the _whole_ truth. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about the Chimera in the wake of the dream I had just shared with Jacen. That is –if Jacen even had the same dream. Mr. P seemed to be able to pick up that we both were holding back something, but he looked annoyed about it. It was weird though; he seemed more upset with something else than he did about Jacen and me.

"So, it's really _happening_ now, as you said Phoebus." My mom said sadly.

"I'm afraid so. It's time for _both_ of them to go where their father's intended. I've fulfilled my part, but I can't take them if their only mortal relatives won't allow it. We are bound by the Moirai to not interfere in prophecy beyond our knowledge. Of course, I'm the exception for MY immediate family."

"Jacen's grandmother still needs to be contacted but…" my mom faltered a bit. "I…I'm not ready to lose him yet Phoebus, he's so young and where you're taking him, the journeys he'll have to take, they're so dangerous! His father told me tales! I just don't think he's ready…"

At this point, I really wanted to say time-out. In the last exchange between Mr. P and my mom, I heard more things that I didn't understand than what I'd gone through today. Of course there was the Chimera and _especially_ the giant eyeball that could somehow talk, but this concerned Jacen and I, _directly_. My Father? Moirai? Prophecy? Journey?

My head felt like splitting. Apparently, Jacen was on the same page because he asked:

"What are you talking about?"

My mom looked down at me again and almost sobbed. I _didn't_ understand what was happening at _all_. The way she talked to Mr. P just now, when she said, 'she doesn't want to _lose_ me', that sounded bad, _real bad_. Finally, I sat up and grabbed my mom's hand.

"Mom," I said gently, "can you please explain what you mean? I-I can't understand…you make it sound like…like I'll never see you again! It can't be that bad, right?"

She bent down and hugged me, her curls tickling my nose while she did it. She smelled like cinnamon, and every time I smell that, it instantly calms me down. Hey, it might sound corny, but when your Mom is all you've got, that's how you _should_ feel when you talk about her.

"It's not that Eddy," she sniffed, "I'm just being selfish. You have to go, you don't belong here."

My heart felt like it was being crushed.

"Because you don't want me here anymore?"

She sobbed out loud and hugged me again, even harder this time. Mr. P cleared his throat loudly, and I looked over at him. He was standing next to Jacen on my armchair. Jacen looked a bit melancholy about the whole thing and wistful. I felt bad for making such a scene with my mom. That's must be hard for the guy.

"What she means dude," said Mr. P, "is that Jacen and you don't belong solely _in_ the mortal world, nor in the other."

Before I could interrupt to ask what he meant by 'other world' Mr. P held up a hand to Jacen and me to let him continue. Jacen had his mouth open already.

"But, there _is_ a place for you to go. It's a camp on Long island. There, you two will meet other kids your age who are just like you, and learn how to defend yourselves from monsters like the Chimera you fought earlier…"

"_Don't_ remind us." Groaned Jacen. Mr. P gave him a warning look and Jacen smiled sheepishly.

"Anyways, the camp is protected very well, and you'll be safe there to train and learn about your legacy, and fathers…"

That _last_ part got my attention.

"And what's this place called?" I asked. I could see Jacen looking at Mr. P with the same question in his expression. Mr. P glanced at my mom, who had let me go now, and she nodded before he answered:

"Camp Half-Blood."

My mind reeled. I felt as if I were back in that crazy dream I just had. Half-Blood was what the eyeball had said, and _now_ Mr. P had said something similar! Another question popped into my head.

"When you say 'half-blood'," I said carefully, "what do you mean? Obviously, you don't mean the insult?"

Mr. P looked taken aback before he seemed to understand my confusion.

"No, no," he amended, "Half-blood refers to someone whose parentage is half mortal, half immortal.

I stared at him, and stared at him, _and_ stared at Mr. P, as Jacen would say: waiting for the punch line. But, it never came. Finally, Jacen said what I thought:

"Oh, you're serious."

Mr. P nodded.

"You're probably wondering why no one at Winchester Thurston understood or could see what you two did in the gymnasium today? That my dudes, is what we call: the Mist."

"Like Myst, the game?" Jaden asked. Mr. P shook his head.

"No. THE _mist_. _M.I.S.T._ It's a veil of magic that distorts what mortals and sometimes even half-bloods can see or understand. Look at it this way: while you two (as half-bloods) saw the Chimera for what it really was: a Chimera, the mortal kids and teachers couldn't understand that. So it became something more believable, like a _real_ lion, or a _real _tiger."

"That's why you said: they see what they _expect_ to see outside the school earlier…" I said aloud. Mr. P nodded.

"Okay then," said Jacen eagerly. "Then why can I toss fire like it's nothing, or not get burned?"

My mom gasped, but a warning look from Mr. P made her school her expression so fast, I almost missed the exchange.

"That's not my place to answer," said Mr. P uneasily, "There's _laws_ dude, and even I can't go around them."

Jacen looked like he wanted to protest but my next question made him pause.

"So, are you a half-blood like us then?" I asked. It made sense the more I thought about it. Mr. P could _see_ the Chimera, he also HAD powers, although, if that were a factor, what were MY powers? Did I even have any?

My mom and Mr. P shared a glance before they both started laughing out loud. I felt slighted. I had asked a fair question, right?

My mom must have realized she was making me feel bad because she stopped laughing and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Eddy," she began in her best 'Mom voice', "I'm not laughing at your question, it's just…it's just that, Phoebus isn't a half-blood like you, he's…"

"_Immortal_."

We all turned to look at Jacen who was looking at Mr. P like he did when we were in the hall this morning, when he looked like he'd never seen him before. Except now, there was a definite recognition in his eyes, as if the answer was always in front of him, or something like that.

"I should've figured it out after the attack ended! When you healed me!" Jaden said shaking his head. I didn't understand how Jaden was coming to his conclusions, but the kid could be wicked smart when he wanted. Mr. P's eyebrows rose.

"Oh? You're right about me being immortal, but I can't come out and say my name. Names have power, as you'll soon find out dude."

My jaw dropped. Was our music and theatre teacher actually immortal? Who was Mr. P, or Phoebus?

Jaden looked like he couldn't believe any of what his mind was piecing together. He looked like he might explode!

"Jacen," I said carefully, "You alright man?"

Jacen laughed nervously.

"I can't believe that this is _real_! Eddy, don't you get it? Can't you understand? Music, mythology, the healing! Aren't you making the connection here? If I'm right, and I'm almost positive I am…."

I felt like an idiot. My mind was so overloaded with things to think about: the necklace, the dream, the Chimera, my father, and this Camp Half-Blood, I just couldn't process anymore. What I _really_ couldn't wrap my head around is _how_ Jacen could cram anything else in his head. But, I tried to think about it: music, mythology, healing…there was definitely someone who fit those traits. And then, I had a quick flashback to homeroom no less than two hours ago.

"_Okay, who can tell me the name of the famous hero," Mr. P began, "Who traveled to the Underworld to save his wife's soul from Hades by paying for her soul with his music? Don't get him confused with the other hero, another son of Apollo."_

_I groaned. I knew the answer of course. I just didn't want to have to answer. But of course, Mr. P's eyes sparkled as he made eye contact with me. I took a big sigh and:_

_ "__Oedipus, son of Apollo." I answered blandly. "NOT to be confused with King Oedipus."_

I understood, but I couldn't believe or wrap my head around it. My cool and favorite teacher, Mr. P was actually…

Mr. P nodded appreciatively.

"I'm glad you dudes figured it out. Although, you actually skipped over my _three_ favorites in my job description."

Mr. P began to glow until his appearance as a Hollister model looking teacher burned away to be replaced by a slightly glowing figure, with the same wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. Except now he was wearing a pure white chiton that hung to his knees, a golden laurel crown upon his head, and golden sandals. He had a golden bow slung across his back and radiated pure power.

"You're both right," Mr. P continued, "I am one of the Twelve Olympians, God of Archery, Medicine, Music, and of course: Prophecy. I am Phoebus Apollo. Or for you two dudes, Lord Apollo, will do."

I stared. And stared some more, and my last thought before I passed out was: My cool teacher just got even cooler!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: We Make A 'REALLY BIG' Splash At Camp**

I woke up feeling better than I ever had before in my life. I stretched and blinked the sleep from my eyes. My room was still a mess, with my album jackets all over the floor and discarded laundry, but I noticed a slight weight on the end of my bed. I glanced down at it and realized that my mom must've left me some fresh clothes. I slipped out of bed to find that I was in PJs and pulled them off. I threw on an old shirt and some faded jeans and stretched again.

Ever wake up from one of those kinds of dreams that felt so real that you could've sworn it happened? That's how I felt as I tried to clean up my room a little bit. I glanced at my alarm clock to see that it read one in the afternoon. I must've slept right through school for the most part: Jacen's _not_ going to be happy about that. Anyways, in my dream, I was given this necklace that turned into a giant sickle, my favorite teacher (who turned out to be the God of the Sun, Apollo) had Jacen and me fight a Chimera, which ended up torching the gym. Jacen discovered he was The Human Torch pretty much, and then I find out that my mom knows Apollo and that I'm a half-blood: half human, and half immortal! Then to make things even weirder, I had this dream within a dream about a giant _space_ eyeball that could talk!

I know: it's pretty crazy, right?

I bent down to pick up a Pink Floyd album off my floor and felt something cool on my chest that I hadn't noticed earlier. I reached into my shirt and grasped it. I withdrew my hand to come face to face with the same necklace from my dream. I froze up.

All at once, memories from earlier this morning poured into my mind, and I realized the reason why I must've thought it was all a dream was because I wasn't dressed or beat up like I was after fighting the Chimera. Heck, even my back felt great, and I landed hard on it at least a bazillion times during the fight.

Almost like an 'I told you it was a real dream' I glanced over at my trash bin and saw Jacen's and my tattered, charred clothes from the fight, stuffed within. I gripped the necklace tightly in my right hand and after taking a breath, flicked the sickle dangling on the chain. The large sickle grew almost instantly and once more I stared at the weapon Mr. P had given to me just this morning.

Mr. P!

Mr. P was _actually_ The God of the Sun, Apollo! The thought was so staggering, I almost blacked out again from realization. After a few deep breaths, I started to figure a few things out. As the God of Medicine, Apollo probably healed me, so that's why I felt as good as new. And if I remember correctly, if Apollo _is_ also the God of Prophecy, it made so much more sense how he always knew what was going on! The guy could see into the future! God of music: _which_ was a no-brainer. Didn't Jacen say…?

Dude! Where was Jacen?

I practically smashed down my bedroom door in my hurry to find my mom, Jacen, and Mr. P – I mean Apollo. I slid right past the living room and backtracked to the open arch doorway and peered in. To this day, I'll never forget the sight.

Jacen was fine. He looked good as new and was wearing some of my clothes that were a little too big for me, courtesy of my mom no doubt. It was weird seeing Jacen in _any_ shirt that didn't have something sarcastic printed on it! Mr. P (Apollo – I'm _never_ going to get used to _that_) was _arm wrestling_ with Jacen! Jacen looked like he was winning, but I figured Apollo wasn't really trying. In fact, he looked amused at the effort Jacen was putting in. My mom was on the couch sipping her coffee and watching a news report on the incident at school this morning. We met eyes and she smiled warmly.

"Oh! You're awake Eddy!"

Jacen and Apollo seemed too wrapped up in their arm wrestling to look up.

"Say uncle!" Jacen cried as he forced Apollo's hand to the other side. I knew it was obvious that the immortal _let_ Jacen win good-naturedly, but he made a face when Jacen said, 'uncle'.

"Jacen," Apollo deadpanned. "You have _no_ idea how ironic that was."

"Stop trying to throw me off my A-game!" Jacen retorted. "Are you the God of Misdirection now too?"

Apollo looked like he was going to respond when he seemed to have finally noticed me and looked up. He grinned that mega-watt smile and I felt like I might need to shield my eyes.

"Good to see you up dude! Sorry about that, I thought that after everything you dudes went through today, finding out my true identity _wouldn't_ make you pass out!"

Jacen sniggered. I felt my cheeks getting warm.

"Yeah well," I stammered, "It's not _everyday_ you find out that all of that mythological stuff you learn is actually _real_."

Apollo nodded his in agreement.

"I do gotta say though," he remarked, "You two dudes took it better than most. Defeating a Chimera (of all monsters) is no _real_ feat."

I shuddered. Now that I wasn't in a life-and-death scenario anymore, the thought of the monster gave me the chills. Jacen's face turned pale again. Guess he didn't want to think about it either.

"Are there more monsters like that?" Jacen asked quietly. Apollo's eyebrows rose.

"Like the Chimera? You bet. Some monsters make even the Chimera look _tame_."

I gulped and looked at my mom. She was looking down sadly at her coffee, and I felt awful. I hadn't even considered that as a mortal, she probably had _no_ clue what we were talking about, unless Apollo explained it to her.

I went over and sat by her on the couch.

"It's alright mom," I began, "the Chimera wasn't _that_ bad, it was…"

"I can _see_ through the Mist, Eddy."

I looked at her in shock. Did I hear her right? It must've really shown on my face because she actually smiled a bit at my expression.

"According to Lord Apollo, some mortals can. I've always been able to, although it was easier when I was a little girl. I think that's one of the many reasons your father and I fell in love."

"Because you knew dad was an Olympian god?" I said.

My mom frowned at that and glanced at Apollo who shook his head in a warning gesture. Really guys? I'm ADHD, but I'm _not_ stupid.

"So, dad wasn't an Olympian?" I asked. Apollo beat me to the punch.

"While it's true that most half-bloods are mostly children of the Olympians, there's plenty of _other_ immortals, dude. Come on, I thought we covered this in class!"

That almost made me snort. I suppose teaching _really_ did rub off on the God of the Sun. Jacen chuckled.

"How could we forget?" he laughed. His face took on a more serious expression.

"I'm guessing _neither_ of us have Olympian parents then?"

Apollo looked like he was just struck in the face.

"What make you assume that, dude?" he almost stammered.

Jacen made a face like, 'Got you!' and just shrugged.

"I don't know. It just seems like, you know; if our fathers were one of the Olympians like you, wouldn't our abilities be more like those demigods in the Iliad or those myths you made us read?"

I wasn't exactly sure, but I could tell that Apollo was a little taken a back by how much Jacen thought his answer out. Like I said, the kid can be wicked smart when he wants to be. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he acts like a goofball to make people underestimate him. Apollo recovered quickly enough though and changed the subject.

"Well dudes," he said, "You're just gonna have to wait until I get you to camp to get _those_ questions answered. Like I said: there _are_ laws that not even _Gods_ can skirt around. Speaking of camp, Jacen did you call your Grandma yet?"

Jacen's face drooped.

"Yeah," he sighed, "She didn't really care either way. I think she'll be _glad_ to not have me around for awhile."

The bitterness in his voice surprised everyone in the room except me. Like I said, I already knew a decent bit about Jacen's home life. My mom however, had _no_ clue how bad things were for him. She set her coffee mug down and embraced Jacen. I could tell he was somewhat shocked, because he froze up for a moment, before returning the hug awkwardly.

"Well, if you _ever_ need a place to stay Jacen," my mom said with a smile, "Eddy and I are more than happy to have you stay with us!"

I could tell that Jacen was _not_ expecting to hear something like that, because I noticed he was trying really hard not to sob. After a few moments of shaky breaths he finally croaked out: "Thanks, Ms. Brown."

My mom just smiled and turned to look at me.

"Eddy, I know that this is a _REALLY_ big change, but your father told me that you _will_ have a way to contact me from camp, whenever you need to. And it's not all year! Maybe you can come back home for Christmas with Jacen!"

After she said that she shot a pointed look at Apollo who just shrugged helplessly.

"I just don't understand WHY I can't just stay here." I said.

Apollo gave me a sympathetic look before he answered:

"Remember when I told you dudes in the gym that the Chimera had your scent?" Jacen and I nodded uncertainly. It was hazy, but I do remember Apollo saying something similar.

"Well," he continued, "The thing is, once half-bloods reach a certain age you begin to awaken your powers and that makes you stink to monsters…"

"Gee, thanks." Jacen sniped. Apollo rolled his eyes at him and continued on.

"_Anyways_, half-bloods can't survive for long after they start to develop their powers because monsters will seek you out. I suppose you dudes could stay at W.T and _try_ to live life like you did before today, but you'll have monsters seeking you out _constantly_. And not just at school dudes, they'll follow you _everywhere_. And I mean _everywhere_."

"Even the bathroom?" Jacen said with a small grin. Everyone looked at him. "Sorry," he added, "Just trying to keep everything on a light note."

I understood what Apollo was getting at though. I could see the problem instantly. He meant that more monsters, maybe ones _worse_ than the Chimera would hunt us. And in our case, could even put our families in danger. I could NOT let _that_ happen.

"I get it," I said. "It just stinks. I mean, I didn't _ask_ to be a half-blood."

"And I didn't _ask_ to be a God," Apollo replied with a stern look, "But I _am_ a God, and you _are_ a half-blood. There's no changing who you are on the inside dude. I told you that earlier."

While I talked to Apollo, I noticed Jacen was thinking about something and looked uneasy.

"Something wrong man?" I asked, even though it seemed like an obvious and stupid question.

"Well," Jacen sighed, "I was thinking: is it possible that _maybe_ it's not just monsters like the Chimera we need to be worried about Ed?"

I didn't even need to wonder what he meant. He was talking about the shared dream vision we both had when we got home a little while ago. Apollo's eyebrows rose and I could tell he knew _exactly_ what we were talking about. My mom looked between the three of us and sighed, smiled and said:

"Do I even _want_ to know what he meant by _that_, son?"

I flinched. Even when my mom speaks and smiles gently like that, I can always tell when I need to divert her attention.

"So, Camp Half-Blood!" I exclaimed with fake enthusiasm. "Where is it? And when do we need to get ready to go?"

Apollo and Jacen looked grateful for the sudden change in subject.

"Well, it's on the northern shore of Long Island in New York," Apollo answered, "and, we should probably leave as soon as possible. I'll be outside with Jacen waiting for you, Eddy!"

Jacen looked offended.

"Why do I have to go with you?" he asked.

"Let's boogie dude!" answered Apollo tossing an arm over Jacen's shoulder. They vanished in a flash of light out of the living room.

I looked at my mom who was rubbing her eyes in disbelief, and I was surprised to see a smile on her face.

"You know, your father used to make flashy entrances and exits ALL the time."

I stared at her. Why couldn't she just tell me _who_ my dad was?

"Mom, can't you…?"

She shook her head sadly.

"I _can't_ Eddy," she said, "one of the things I _swore_ to your father was that I wouldn't tell you who he is. He wanted to be able to do it himself. When you have proven yourself to him."

She said the last part with a bit of anger and I understood why. I felt the same way. She embraced me and whispered:

"Don't resent him for it son. Immortals…well, they don't see things the same way we do. To them our lives are like a second. I was just happy to have fallen in love with your father because he gave me you."

I tried not to get angry, or to cry. I didn't know how to feel about everything so far today. I fought a monster, met a God, found out about my heritage, and so much more. I was being sent away from home, to a camp I've never been to, and I was scared. I didn't _want_ to go, but if what Apollo said was true about monsters attacking my mom and me? I _had_ to go. I nuzzled into her embrace and said:

"I love you Mom. I'll see you soon. I promise."

She smiled, kissed me on the forehead and led me to the front door. I stepped out and started to walk down the stairs. I turned back and looked at my mom again. She smiled that smile that only a mom can give you and waved. I waved back.

I heard a car horn beep and looked across the street to see Apollo and Jacen in the Mustang waiting for me. A few kids and neighbors stopped what they were doing to gawk at the car. I hopped the bottom step and ran towards the Mustang. I heard my mom call out:

"Be careful Oedipus!"

I groaned. "I _will_ Mom!"

I hopped in the back seat to hear Jacen laughing at me. Even Apollo was chuckling. I buried my face in my hands and tried to look as small as possible. We started to move and I peeked out the tinted rear window and saw my mom still waving, but with a difference: she had tears running down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>We traveled via Interstate 79 North towards Erie, PA. Once again, it felt like it only took a few minutes before I saw that we were passing the Grove City Outlets, which were at <em>least<em> two hours from MY place.

'Must be nice, being a God.' I thought.

We were just passing Erie when Apollo pulled over onto a windy country road and parked by an old abandoned farm. Jacen and I shared a bewildered glance, but Apollo didn't even notice. He was busy looking at his car keys and trying to pick a certain one out. I hadn't noticed earlier, but the guy had _a lot_ of different keys.

"So, why did we stop?" I asked. Apollo was quiet for a second before he turned around and grinned at me.

"Don't get me wrong dudes," he began, "I love the Mustang mode of my chariot, but it's a _total_ killer on gas!"

Jacen looked gob smacked.

"Wait. Did you just say _CHARIOT_?"

"Yep! We're flying to CHB the ol' fashioned way dudes!"

He found the key he was looking for and thrust it into the ignition and turned. There was a brilliant flash of light and when I finally blinked the spots from my eyes, I almost passed out again in shock. I've got to stop doing that!

You would've flipped if you were there though! Jacen and me were sitting in the back seat of a golden colored chariot. Apollo's chariot! It was even cooler than the illustrations those old painters came up with! It had sun pattered mosaics engraved on the outside all around the base, and ancient Greek inscriptions that I could for some reason, make sense of. The largest inscription read:

'All Hail the Bringer of the Sun, For He Is Awesome'.

"Lord Apollo?" I asked. He glanced back at me with a grin.

"What's up Eddy?"

"Did you come up with this inscription on the chariot?"

"Sure did dude! What do you think?"

"It's um…Honest?"

"I agree! Glad we're on the same page!"

I actually thought it was kind of overkill, but I wasn't going to say that to an all-powerful Olympian. I was about to ask Jacen why he didn't make the comment about it when I realized he was gawking at something else in the front of the chariot. I followed his gaze and almost shouted out. I don't know _how_ I possibly missed them. There, hitched up with reins to the chariot, were two giant winged horses. Pegasi! It was still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that myths and gods were as real as I was. The pegasi had gleaming white fur and their manes…we're actual flames. Their eyes were red and they had to stand at least 12 feet tall. Apollo turned from his seat and grinned even wider at Jacen and me.

"All right dudes," he winked, "next stop: Camp Half-Blood!"

Ever been on a rollercoaster that shoots you out of the station super fast? Or in a car that's racing down a road at top speed, just because either you or the driver feels like it? Have you? Cool. Know what it's like to ride in the Chariot of the Sun?

Not like _any_ of those things: unless, you multiply it by a thousand.

We started moving so fast; I KNEW I would never be able to sit up straight the _whole_ time. Jacen and I were literally smashed into the backseat upholstery. I felt like I was on one of those carnival rides, you know; like a gravitron? Jacen yelled something about how fighter pilots have got nothing on the speed we were going. I wanted to reply, but I was afraid I'd swallow a bug at subsonic speeds.

I guess our silence confused Apollo because he crraned his neck around to see why we were so quiet. When he saw us smashed up against the backseat he laughed so hard that we tilted to one side at a forty-five degree angle. Apollo wiped a tear from his eye, sighed, then snapped his fingers with a resounding 'SNAP!'

Suddenly, even though we were still moving at the same speed, it felt like we were in the back seat of his car again. I held my breath to pop my ears and shook my head.

"What just happened?" I said, looking at the god in awe. Apollo chuckled.

"Sorry Eddy, Jacen. I forgot to reset the barrier. I don't usually use one see; perk of being immortal and all that jazz."

"Gee," groaned Jacen, "what would you have done if we got crushed by the pressure?"

He sounded sarcastic, but the pale color of his face told me otherwise. Poor kid, he just had to face _two_ of his biggest fears today: fire and flight crashes, both of which killed his mom. Apollo shrugged.

"I don't know? Apologize to your spirits in the Underworld?"

Jacen and I both gulped and looked at each other. Apollo laughed at our expressions.

"I'm just kidding dudes," he chuckled, "I wouldn't let you two die on my watch! I'm the all-seeing Apollo!"

Jacen leaned over and whispered to me.

"I think I should give Apollo a piece of my world-famous humble pie."

I snorted. But I noticed Apollo raise an eyebrow in challenge.

"Did I mention that I'm all-hearing too?" he said with a smirk. We both shut up after that.

* * *

><p>We flew a bit slower as we went over what I assume was Lake Ontario. Apollo mentioned something that Aeolus, Lord of the Winds had been griping about. Apparently, Boreas (God of the North Wind) had angered Zeus, so in retribution, Apollo had to fly a bit closer to Canada today to counteract Boreas' snowy weather. It all made my head hurt. I knew the gods in myth were kind of like normal people, but hearing about them from another god, was really surreal. Jacen leaned a bit forward in his seat and asked:<p>

"So, Lord Apollo?"

"What's up Jacen?" he answered.

"So, what's your dad like in person? Isn't he like; the big guy upstairs, Zeus?"

There was a loud rumbling of thunder and I'm pretty sure I saw a lightning bolt flaring in the far distance on the horizon of Lake Ontario. Apollo paled considerably.

"Jacen," he whispered harshly. I was surprised how panicked he looked. "You need to be careful about how you talk about gods. My dad _really_ hates not being shown the proper respect by _anyone_. Except, _maybe_ Queen Hera. That goes doubly for _YOU_ guys!"

Jacen scowled as he heard that. He always had a bit of a problem with authority figures, with the exception of Apollo. But even when we just knew him as Mr. P, Jacen still wouldn't ALWAYS show the proper respect to him as our teacher.

"Pssh, I just asked about him. He doesn't need to be all grumpy about it!"

I smacked his arm and gave him a warning look, but it was too late.

A strong gust smashed into the side of the chariot and we pitched sideways and began to spiral. Apollo heaved on the reins, but it was obvious even to _ME_ that the pegasi were spooked by the change in winds. Apollo glanced in the direction of the east and gulped. (how he could find that as we were freefalling, I'll never know. Must be a god thing)

"That's not good. Not good at all."

I didn't even need to ask what Apollo meant. On the eastern horizon a _HUGE_ storm was starting to form. Seriously, like; out of _thin_ air. I glared at Jacen who whimpered when he saw the storm system.

"My bad!" he bellowed. "Forgive me, Lord Zeus! King of um…the Clouds?"

I wanted to kick him. I _really_ wanted to. But he was my best friend, and I figured that just because I didn't _directly_ insult the King of the Gods, didn't mean that I would be spared his anger. But then I thought about Apollo. Zeus wouldn't attack his own son, right?

"Lord Apollo!" I shouted over the whistling winds as we skimmed the very edge of the storm. "Your father wouldn't actually _kill_ you right?"

Apollo looked at me as if I had gone insane.

"DUDE!" he bellowed. "I'm IMMORTAL!"

_RIGHT._ I can _totally_ tally another point to the: 'Stupid Things Eddy's Asked Today' List!

"Well, you're his SON! Surely he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize you!"

Apollo laughed. But there wasn't _any_ humor behind it.

"You kidding?" he roared as we were buffeted by winds. "My dad once punished his brother Poseidon and me by making us build the walls of Troy! He doesn't forget insults easily!"

Jacen was pale as a ghost. I can almost feel the fear rolling off of him. Apollo looked over at Jacen and sighed loudly.

"When you get to camp, you'd better offer a _huge_ portion of your feast to me! I'm _never_ gonna hear the end of this from dad!"

I was about to ask what he was about to do, when he took us right into a nosedive. I wanted to scream, Jacen already was, but I was in so much shock that nothing came out. A golden glow started to appear around Apollo and in a louder and more regal sounding voice he bellowed:

"BOTH OF YOU! EYES CLOSED NOW!"

I didn't argue. Jacen already had his hands over his eyes, like he was praying to every god _except_ Zeus to save him. I felt a weightless sensation, and everything went quiet.

* * *

><p>When I opened my eyes again, I gasped at the sight before me. The storm hadn't vanished at all, but somehow Apollo must've gotten us into the eye of the storm. Or at least, that's what I thought at first. I glanced over at Jacen who had both hands up to the sky and was thanking every single deity he could think of, although I'm pretty sure I heard him thank Zeus. Hypocrite.<p>

I glanced at Apollo who was starting to return to normal. Well, as normal as an immortal god can get. I leaned forward in my seat.

"Lord Apollo," I asked, "what just happened?"

Apollo turned and grinned at me, although I could tell it was forced.

"I _kind of_ bent the rules a bit more than I should've," he admitted. "Remember I told you dudes that immortals are bound by _very_ specific laws?"

Jacen, (who had stopped his groveling and joined the conversation) and me nodded. Apollo grimaced.

"Well, I just _broke_ one. Gods _can't_ directly help half bloods or mortals. We _can_ assist indirectly you dig? I jumped us through the storm using some godly magic, right over camp. Look!"

Jacen and me both glanced down. My jaw fell open. A cold gray ocean stretched out from the left. The fields, forests, and roads were blanketed in full blow fall. From the sky it looked like a painting with all the colors. Directly below us though, was a green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with autumn hills on three sides and water to the north. I saw a cluster of buildings like Greek temples, a big blue mansion, ball courts, a lake, and a climbing wall: call me crazy, but I could've _sworn_ it was on _fire_!

Before I could process all this though, a gust of wind, stronger than any before rocked us so hard we plummeted from the sky like a rock. Apollo tried his best to maintain a level course, but it was hopeless. Zeus must have been _peeved_. We were two for three. First Jacen with the insult, now Apollo with cheating his dad from his windy vengeance, _so_ even if I never said anything to offend him, I was overruled in life sparing by a majority!

We hurtled through the sky at a steep angle. By this point, Apollo was starting to regain some control, but it wasn't enough. Math was my _worst_ subject, but even I knew that at the angle _we_ were falling, not to mention the speed, it would equal a _really_ ugly landing. As the landscape got closer and closer I tried to think of something to do. Apollo at this point was veering wildly, but we were still falling towards the camp at least. Great. My first impression at camp would _be_ my impression left by a fiery, destructive crash. What would my mom say?

Apollo snapped me back into focus when he bellowed:

"We're hitting the magical barrier! The storm _should_ end, but we're coming in too hot to land gracefully!"

Jacen, who was seriously giving Casper the Friendly Ghost a run for his money in paleness, shouted:

"NOT TOO CONCERNED WITH OUR LANDING! MORE CONCERNED ABOUT SURVIVING!"

I agreed wholeheartedly.

There was a great whooshing of air and suddenly, we were surrounded by weather the _complete_ opposite of just a second ago. Instead the windy cold, it was warm. I couldn't say much for the wind, seeing that we were still free falling, but I assumed if I lived it'd probably be pleasant feeling. Now that we were closer to the camp I could see that the climbing wall was _definitely_ on fire. Jeez, I'm falling to my death and my ADHD still can't make me focus on the _big_ picture. Also, I noticed tiny dots (I assumed they were people) all in some kind of orange t-shirt? I wasn't sure about their clothes, but they all stopped moving and looked up. We zoomed passed the Greek looking temples, and missed the tallest one by inches. I glanced back and saw that we almost beheaded a bronze eagle sculpture on the roof of the building. From the front of the chariot I heard Apollo say, "Sorry Dad!"

I glanced forward and saw that Apollo was driving toward the lake, but we were coming in _way_ too fast. For the second time today, since the Chimera attack, I felt my life flash before my eyes. It's _TRUE_! It _DOES_ happen! And I thought of my mom, and Jacen and the fact that I never even got to find out who _my_ dad was.

Wait! _MY_ Dad!

I knew he wasn't an Olympian, Apollo said as much, but he was _STILL_ an immortal! Hopefully he wasn't just a fairy or a nymph. To be honest, as I prayed, I was _really_ hoping for someone helpful.

'Dad,' I prayed, squeezing my eyes shut. 'If you're _actually_ watching over me, I could _DEFINITELY_ use some help right now! _Please_!

The lake was closing in. 100 feet, 50 feet. The speed we were going, the surface tension would smash Jacen and me to half blood dust. Apollo? I'm not sure…maybe he'd just have wicked whiplash or something. 20 feet, 10, 5…

Then, it was as if time itself stopped. I looked around and everything was frozen. Apollo still had his hands on the reins, Jacen was in the middle of his third groveling session, mid word, and the pegasi were in the midst of trying to pull up! But it was all frozen. Then, I wondered why I _wasn't_. I felt a kind of warm presence next to me and turned my head, and for the umpteenth time today, I gasped.

Next to me was a man, taller than most with a very muscular build. He had caramel colored skin like mine and his hair was the same shade of black like me, but it was long and straight. He had a well-trimmed beard and was wearing what looked like Greek armor over a violet chiton. The most shocking part about his appearance was when I made eye contact with him. His eyes…His eyes, were the same exact shade of golden-yellow as mine. It's funny; I'd never _seen_ the guy, yet I knew _exactly _who he was.

"Dad?" my voice broke at the end of that single word. The guy smiled at me. He nodded and waved his hand and vanished.

Was I confused? Yes. Was I completely shocked that I had just met my immortal parent? Yep. Did I want to know _who_ my dad was? _YOU BET_. I had a ton of questions, and I _wanted_ answers, but that had to wait. Because of one little issue:

Time unfroze, and with a giant splash of water, The Sun Chariot of Apollo crashed into the camp lake.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: I Meet A Familiar Old Lady**

When I opened my eyes a second later, all I could make out was bits and pieces of Apollo's chariot sinking around me. The water was murky, but not hard to see in. I could faintly see the rays of sunlight and ripples from where we must have hit the surface of the lake. I tried to move. _FIRST MISTAKE_. Pain like _nothing_ I felt in my life, not even after fighting the Chimera, rippled through my limbs like an electric shock. I cried out. _SECOND MISTAKE_. I couldn't breathe. With effort, I closed my mouth and tried to preserve what oxygen I had left in my lungs.

Just when I thought I couldn't feel any more downtrodden, I heard giggling. It sounded like groups of girls Jacen and I passed in the halls at school sometimes. I had to fight screaming again as I slowly turned my head and almost inhaled water.

Floating beside me, were a bunch of girls who looked the same age as me. They all had brown or black hair and were wearing an assortment of t-shirts and blue jeans that shimmered in the water. I noticed they were giggling and obviously had no issue that they were underneath the water where there was NO air. I closed my eyes and tried to think. They weren't mortal, obviously. Could they be…? Nature spirits! Mr. P had taught us about nature spirits before! We were in a fresh water lake, I think, so that would make them…

"You're Naiads!" I gurgled. _THIRD MISTAKE_. I quickly shut my mouth and must've looked completely stupid, because they giggled harder. I noticed that the light on the surface was getting super small, and before I knew it, I felt my back hit the bottom of the lake with a hollow sounding thud, and I howled with pain. The last thing I saw before I ran out of air was a bunch of very concerned water-nymph girls looking and swimming toward me.

* * *

><p>I awoke laying face down on warm, sweet smelling grass. <em>That<em> was the first sign to me that something was up. I rolled over onto my back and was surprised to find that I wasn't in any pain. Wasn't I just in a crash? What about Jacen or Apollo…?

I sat straight up and, I'm pretty sure my mouth just hung open for a while. I was in the most _beautiful_ meadow I had ever seen. There had to be every type of wildflower in the world growing here! The thought made me wish that I could share it with my mom. She loved flowers and gardens. When I was younger, she would take me to Phipps Conservatory in Oakland all the time. The place was a botanical garden and it was filled to the brim with exotic plants and things like that. She always wanted to start a garden, but we never had the money to live in a place where she could.

"Quite a crash you had there, Oedipus Brown," said a voice from behind me.

At the sound of my full name, I wheeled around and saw an elderly looking woman smiling kindly at me. I felt a sudden pang of recognition. It must've shown, because she smiled wider, almost as if she was waiting for me to remember _who_ she was. It took a few more seconds, and I exclaimed:

"You're the nice old woman from Bloomfield who waved at me from the bus stop this morning! I never got to thank you!"

The old woman tilted her head to the side slightly, as if she needed me to elaborate, so I did.

"You gave me a bunch of food in a plastic bag after MY lunch got ruined two years ago? I meant to thank you for that!"

She grinned even wider and nodded in appreciation. Then, she giggled: which I found a bit creepy.

"OH! You are _SO CUTE_!" I thought that was even _creepier_ to hear coming from her. She sounded like a teenage girl, the way she said that.

"My nephew Apollo _was_ right about you, Eddy!"

_OKAY_. I'm not _always_ the sharpest tool in the shed, but even I know when something is seriously _not_ right.

"Apollo's your _nephew_?" I asked in astonishment. The old woman nodded and began to change. I watched as she went from a hobbled old woman into a younger woman, maybe about my mom's age.

She was beautiful, in a very regal way. She had long, wavy hair that was as blonde as ripe wheat, large brown eyes, and a crown made from woven corn leaves with poppies decorating it. She wore a bright green dress with a black cape. She strode toward me and where she stepped, the ground seemed to erupt into flowers and beautiful plant life. I caught a whiff of her scent on the slight breeze, and it reminded me of a rainstorm over a field of the nicest smelling flowers you could imagine. It made me think of lavender. The whole picture was slightly ruined by her weapon hanging at her side though. She had a menacing-looking sword that was curved and completely golden. I clutched at my sickle necklace. I _hoped_ she wasn't a monster of some kind in disguise. She seemed to sense my unease because she said kindly:

"Peace, young one. I am _not_ your enemy. I am Demeter, Olympian Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility and of Sacred Law and the Harvest."

I blinked. And I stared. I didn't know how much more of this I could handle: two Olympians in one day? One more if you want to count Zeus, God of Not Being Able To Handle Insults. And I really didn't _want_ to meet _him_ today either. I would've gawked longer, but an urgent thought popped in my head.

"Jacen, and Lord Apollo! The crash! Are they okay?" I said quickly. Demeter giggled again and regarded me. It made my cheeks burn a bit.

"Your friend Jacen is fine, the naiads were _quite_ taken with him," Demeter said with a smile, "they pulled him to safety immediately after you hit the water."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Jacen was the _only_ sense of normality I had now, and we both had already gone through so much today together. I didn't know what I'd do without the goofball.

"My nephew on the other hand," Demeter continued, "is in _quite_ a predicament. My brother Zeus is _not_ very happy with him. He's been recalled to Olympus for the time being, no doubt to get a strict lecture!"

She giggled again and I couldn't help but smile a little bit. Her laugh was contagious. I almost forgot to ask the question that I _should've _asked when Demeter first appeared as the old woman.

"Um, Lady Demeter?" I asked. She nodded her head telling me to continue. "Um…Am I dead?"

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. I started to fear the worst until…

She started laughing at me. I _SWEAR_! Does _EVERY_ Immortal find the concept of death _FUNNY_? I smacked my forehead. Of course they do, you _idiot_, I thought. Demeter took a few breaths and then replied:

"I'm _SO_ sorry dear," she hiccupped a bit, "I forget how _sensitive_ you mortals and half-bloods are about death! I wouldn't know, you see."

She smiled serenely at me.

'I bet you wouldn't,' I thought.

"But, to answer your question," she continued, "No. I wanted to speak with you, so I used some of my magic to put you in a stasis of sorts, so I could give you this vision."

Demeter just chuckled at my bewildered look.

"You're just _sleeping _dear. Time is fluid in dreams, you know. When you awake I am sure that you will surface from the lake and help from camp will arrive for you. It's only been a short while in the real world. I forgot to mention that the lake naiads find _you_ quite appealing as well! They will help."

I felt my cheeks redden again. At least I wasn't dead, I thought. _that's_ good. Demeter took a seat on the grass and it seemed to grow into a makeshift cushion for her to sit on as she moved. She gestured for me to join her and as I sat, a grass cushion appeared under me as well. I thought it would be uncomfortable, but honestly, it felt so soft, I wished I could have one for a pillow.

"Eddy," Demeter began, "Do you find it hard to believe that we, the Greek gods exist?"

I thought about it for a moment. Everything had happened so fast since the pep rally this morning; I hadn't given it any real thought. Everything just seemed so SURREAL; I just kind of went along with it.

"I suppose," I said carefully, "but, I mean; you're here. And I _know_ that Chimera was real, and that…"

I was about to mention that vision I had about the weird space eyeball. I don't know why, but it felt like it would be a _bad_ idea to tell Demeter that.

Demeter didn't seem to find my hesitation odd, because she continued:

"What if I told you that the Greek Gods who ruled over Mt. Olympus in Ancient Greece, are the same Olympians you see today? For example, that I am the _same_ Demeter the Greeks worshipped to make their crops grow?"

I wasn't sure how to respond. The _whole_ idea sounded crazy. But then again: there really hadn't been a (_not_) crazy part of today.

"I would have to ask, how?" I said, "I know that gods are immortal, but why are you here? Shouldn't you still be in Greece? On Mt. Olympus?"

Demeter beamed at me like I had just declared that I was a _die-hard_ environmentalist.

"A good question, Eddy." She answered. "You see, you are right, but there is more to it. We gods follow the 'Heart of Civilization' and move from place to place depending on where our influence is strongest. For example, we started in Greece, where democracy and recorded history began. From there, we moved to Rome. Over the centuries, the balance of power, influence, and culture changed places around the world, and we gods followed. Why, three centuries ago we were in England, and now…"

"You're in the United States!" I said. Demeter nodded happily.

"Yes. Olympus changes places along with us, and all the gods for the most part, follow the change. Even the Underworld is here in America!"

I grimaced. Hopefully it isn't anywhere around camp. I'd hate to go for a stroll and find myself falling into a pit to there. Demeter went on:

"Don't worry," she said like she was reading my mind, (I swear that's _got_ to be an Olympian thing) "The entrance to the underworld is _always_ in the far west. Which means here it would be in California."

Her face darkened a bit when she mentioned the location and I couldn't figure out why. Then, I remembered the story of how Demeter's daughter Persephone was taken by Hades to be his wife. Demeter must be pretty bitter about that place. Almost as soon as her face darkened though, she went back to her sunny self.

"For another example, Mt. Olympus is _always_ anchored above the location with the most influence, culture, and people. It has been this way for ages."

I thought about that and could only think of one place:

"New York City?" I asked. Demeter nodded again.

"Indeed. We Gods and Titans both have our homes anchored in New York City, although I wish Zeus could've made our home in Des Moines, Iowa. There's more agriculture there!"

"One minute Lady Demeter," I said. She glanced at me and tilted her head slightly to the side. "I thought that the Titans were the _enemies_ of the Olympians?"

That was something I knew _had_ to be true. Mr. P (Apollo) had never said so in class, but I had read a book about myths in my study period from the library and it mentioned that the Titans and Olympians fought like a Ten-year war!

Demeter sighed and caused a stalk of corn to appear next to her. She examined the quality of the plant and nodded, apparently pleased.

"A _common_ misconception my dear," she said; now facing me again. "And for that: I blame those Greek dramatists. They always did _love_ to embellish the _real_ story! The truth is, while the Titans are more powerful than we Olympians, we Olympians are more multi-talented, I suppose."

"Multi-talented?" I asked. This was getting seriously complicated.

"For example," Demeter said, "take my nephew Apollo. What is he the God of?"

"Um, Music, Medicine, and the Sun?" I replied.

"Also," added Demeter, "Oracles, Prophecy, Disease, Poetry, and Archery."

"Oh," was my intelligent reply. "Right."

Demeter giggled again.

"So you see, we Olympians could do _MORE_ for mankind, with out feeling overtaxed. The Titans are like our parents and grandparents in the immortal family of the Greek gods. When things became too hectic for them to handle ages ago, they stepped down and gave their descendants their old thrones. Of course, they still maintain a _great_ deal of power, but most do not bother in mortal affairs, _although_ some…"

There was a loud rumble of thunder from above the meadow. I jumped, thinking that I was _going_ to meet Zeus after all, while Demeter just looked annoyed.

"So annoying," she grumbled. The cornstalk withered away as she pouted. She looked at me and said quickly:

"Listen dear, I don't have much time. When you awake be sure to seek out Chiron, he is…the activities director at camp. He can explain more to you."

The way she hesitated when she said 'he is…' made me a bit nervous, but Demeter wasn't finished.

"And also dear," she added, "ask Chiron about the Oracle. Ask if…"

Louder thunder clapped. I looked at the sky and started to see storm clouds moving in from overhead. Demeter got up from her grass cushion and glared at the sky furiously.

"He is _SUCH_ a brat sometimes!" she bellowed.

I stood up as well and took a few steps away from her. Just because she wouldn't die from a lightning bolt strike, and this was _only_ a vision, did _not_ mean I was feeling lucky about MY chances.

Demeter looked at me one more time and smiled.

"Don't fret about your father Eddy," she said, "now that you are safely at camp, I have no doubt that he will claim you soon. You are _more_ than worthy in my eyes, dear!"

I went to respond to what Demeter had said, but I found that I was starting to float. I went to open my mouth but it felt like my mouth was clamped shut. Demeter smiled at me before beginning to vanish in a whirlwind of wheat grain, along with the beautiful meadow. And soon, I disappeared as well.

* * *

><p>When I awoke, I felt wet. And noticed I was still underneath the lake. Oh! And the kicker: My body <em>HURT LIKE HECK<em>. Here's another thing that we half bloods have to deal with: when you dream and bonk your head while you sleep, you'll have a bit of a throbbing head right? Well, try dreaming after crashing a flying chariot at 60 mph into a lake, and then waking up. And that's _mild_ for a half blood.

Anyway, I noticed that I was moving toward the surface, even though I couldn't really move at all. And I felt like my breath had returned into my lungs: maybe a gift from Demeter? After Apollo, I was definitely putting Demeter at the top on my favorite Olympian list.

I turned my head and saw the teenage girls, the naiads holding on to me and swimming toward the surface. I smiled lazily at the one closest to me, to show my appreciation, and her cheeks flushed and she giggled. Girls are _weird_.

As we neared the surface, I saw another shape dive in and begin to swim toward me. At first, I thought it might be a monster of some kind (I was getting too paranoid) but as it drew closer, I made out the shape of a girl in what appeared to be an orange t-shirt and cut-off jeans and sneakers. She finally reached us and began to help the naiads get me to the surface. She pulled on my bad arm (I realized as she did, it _had_ to be broken) and I gasped in pain. You'd think I'd stop making stupid choices underwater, but _you_ try having a broken limb pulled on and _not_ yell.

I inhaled so much water; I started to sink, even with the naiad's pushing me. The girl seemed to realize her mistake and swam up close to me to make sure I was okay. It was the first good look I got at her.

We were probably the same age, if anything she might've been a year younger than me. She had straight black hair tied in a ponytail, and darker skin than me. Mine was more of a caramel, while hers was more like chocolate. Her eyes were the color of jade.

I started to black out. Again. And I know what you're thinking: Eddy, that's got to be a record! Trust me, I know. But then, right as my eyelids started to feel heavy, I felt something touch my lips and breathing slowly came back to me.

I opened my eyes, and _froze_. This girl, who I just met, was _KISSING ME_. Like: Full mouth-to-mouth contact. Then, I felt stupid and realized she was probably just sharing her oxygen with me, which was nice, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed. She wasn't bad looking at all.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed three naiads below pointing and giggling in a little huddle up at us. I didn't understand at first, but then I noticed that they had _stopped_ helping! The girl had her arms around me and we broke the surface of the lake with a splash.

Did I mention she _still_ had her lips pressed to mine?

The girl opened her eyes and realized where we were; (not underwater) and that our lips were still pressed together. She pulled away _super_ fast. Her face got pink and she pulled me toward her by the scruff of my shirt, which seriously hurt at the moment, and whispered:

"You even _think_ of telling people that was a _kiss_ and I'll make your crash in the lake look like a _GRACEFUL DIVE_!"

I blinked at her.

"You mean, it wasn't?" I realized I must've thought out loud (_Nice Eddy_!) because her face went from pink to red faster than you can say '_Chimera_'.

"I WAS SAVING YOU FROM DROWNING! GOT IT?" she bellowed in outrage.

But I got the feeling she wasn't _completely_ upset by the whole situation. I nodded and rolled my eyes. I don't know why, but after the events of today: dealing with a fire-breathing monster, my teacher-turned-god, a talking space eye-ball, a chariot crash, _AND_ meeting Demeter, I _really_ just wanted to do that to someone who could _not_ smite me at the blink of an eyelash.

Her face went from red to puce and she looked furious. Of course, she was like me, from what I could gather: a half blood, so unless she had some kind of ability to smite people on the spot, she couldn't really hurt me, right?

_WRONG_.

The girl did the next best thing. She reared back her fist and punched me so hard in my arm that I blacked out at once from the pain. Did she know it was my bad arm? I like to think so. Does it suck that I blacked out again? You bet. Will I ever be able to understand what goes on in a girl's head? _ABSOLUTELY NOT_! Like I said earlier:

Nature Spirit Girls…are weird. But so are Immortal girls, and Half blood girls.

_ESPECIALLY_: half blood girls with a wicked right hook.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Notes:**

**So, here's Chapter 6! Now, Eddy and Jacen have finally made it to Camp Half-Blood. I ALREADY know that some of you will be expecting to see some familiar faces, but heads up: I have a devious reason for NOT having them in the story. And I'm sure you'll be surprised. Yes, I said it: Percy and pals WON'T be appearing anytime soon in this one folks, but I PROMISE that this story will reveal WHY that is in due time. And like I said: it is DEVIOUS. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and remember to REVIEW! :)**

**Chapter 6: I Meet A Horse, And Make Some New Friends **

After I blacked out from the sucker punch of _all_ sucker punches, I can faintly remember feeling like someone or _something_ lifted me out of the water and carried me off somewhere. To where, I had no idea.

From there, I had weird dreams about things that didn't seem to make _any_ sense, jumbled messages and weird symbols, so I just blanked out. I _do_ remember being spoon-fed some kind of liquid that tasted like blue raspberry Jolly Ranchers and had hazy memories of a group of people watching over me. But, beyond that: I can't recall anything else.

When I regained consciousness, I realized I was lying on an incredibly soft bed. I blinked open my eyes, and tried to sit up slowly, which amazingly, wasn't _impossible_ to do. My body _still_ ached all over, but I was at least able to move with out agonizing jolts of pain. I looked around the room I was in and realized it was some kind of infirmary. On the wall was a mural of satyrs playing reeds in a forest for some nymphs and on the other wall was a large window, which warm rays of sunlight filtered through. Directly in front of me was a door, which I assumed led out of the infirmary. Where to? I didn't know.

I tried to stretch, and realized that my left arm felt really awkward. I glanced down at it and groaned. It was covered in a cast, which meant _I REALLY DID_ brake it in the crash. There goes my record of _never_ breaking a bone before. Little did I know at the time: I'd break a lot more over the course of my life as a half blood.

Suddenly, the door to the infirmary swung open and standing in the doorway, was Jacen!

He had a few bruises and scrapes on his face and arms, but besides that, he looked perfectly fine. I guess Demeter was telling the truth when she said he got of easy.

The clothes I had lent him were nowhere to be seen. He was now wearing an orange t-shirt with a black Pegasus stencil on it, with the words 'Camp Half Blood' printed above that. He had a fresh pair of jeans on and his sneakers, which I found odd. I figured they would've been waterlogged. I was right though, as he grinned and started toward me, I could hear a distinct 'squish, squish' from his shoes as he walked.

"You know Eddy," he said with a cocky smirk, "I'm _amazed_ that you can survive a Chimera attack, and chariot crash head on…"

He grinned even wider.

"But the _one_ thing that finally takes you down is getting _SUCKER PUNCHED_ by a chick!"

And cue raucous laughter from Jacen.

I groaned and slammed my head back down on my pillow.

"Dude," I snarled. "_please_ shut up. I wouldn't have passed out if she didn't hit me in my broken arm! That hurt like heck!"

I held up the cast on my arm so Jacen could see what I meant. Then, a new voice from the doorway quipped:

"Or maybe you're just a sissy?"

Jacen and I both turned to see the same girl who had hit me standing there, with her arms crossed and smirking. But, she wasn't alone. Standing beside her was guy, probably a few years older than us.

He had blonde hair and deep, gray eyes. He was wearing an orange camp shirt as well, but had on khaki shorts and sandals. He stood taller than Jacen by a few inches and had the look of a surfer dude. He reminded me somewhat of Apollo. Speaking of the God of the Sun, I hope Zeus doesn't force him to go rebuild the Great Wall of China or something, as punishment for helping us get to camp.

The blonde guy frowned and looked down at the girl.

"Christine," he said. His voice was low and smooth. "Don't be rude. These two are new campers, new half bloods like us. You should be respectful."

The girl, Christine, just clicked her teeth and looked away from us. 'Nice girl' I thought.

The tall blonde guy gave Jacen and me a warm smile.

"Sorry about her," he said, "she's always been a bit stubborn. I'm Paul Everhart. And this," he gestured at the girl, "is Christine Gregory."

We nodded and said hello and introduced ourselves. Jacen gave me a sly grin and said:

"Why don't you tell them your _full_ name Eddy?"

I glared at him, but Jacen's grin only got wider. Paul and Christine looked at me expectantly. Jacen and I continued our stare off for a few more seconds before I finally caved and sighed.

"Oedipus. My full name is Oedipus Brown."

Christine's eyebrows rose.

"You mean like the king of Thebes in Ancient Greece?"

I groaned and Jacen chuckled. Paul studied me for a moment and then added:

"I believe he's named after the _hero_ Oedipus, the son of Apollo. In fact, the hero came _before_ the king, so it's more accurate to say the king was named for the hero."

I blinked at him. And then, I grinned.

"_DUDE_! You're the _first_ person to ever understand that off the bat! I like you already!"

Paul's cheeks turned a little pink and he scratched the back of his head.

"Thanks Ed," he said with an awkward chuckle. "I really like to read, so I know a little bit about myths and that kind of stuff…"

Christine scoffed.

"A little bit? You're like a _walking_ encyclopedia when it comes to Greek and Roman stuff! Don't even get me started!"

"We won't." replied Jacen. Christine glared at him. Paul, looking for a way to diffuse the tension looked at me again and changed the subject.

"You know, some of us weren't sure you were going to make it Ed," he said with a grimace. I perked up at that. Was I really hurt _that_ badly?

"When the healers from the Apollo cabin brought you up from the lake with Christine, your body looked a lot worse. I'll spare you the details, but they pumped so much nectar and ambrosia into you, it would've disintegrated three half bloods!"

I glanced at Jacen who was a bit green in the face.

"Was I really _that_ bad, man?" I asked. He turned his head away.

"Yeah bro," he replied. "When I saw you in the lake with Christine I thought you'd just been roughed up a bit like me, but once they got you _out_ of the lake…you were _BAD_."

I gulped. Paul smiled sympathetically at me.

"Well, the good thing is: you're healed now." He said kindly. "You _were_ bad, but there isn't much that a little nectar and ambrosia can't fix!"

There it was again: Nectar and Ambrosia?

"What are nectar and ambrosia anyway? Isn't that the same name as the food gods feast on?" I asked.  
>Paul nodded.<p>

"One in the same. For half bloods, in small amounts it can help heal almost any non-fatal injury. But _too_ much, and you're body will disintegrate from the inside out. That's why I was surprised you were able to take in so much. You must be a powerful half blood Eddy."

I shook my head. I had almost died _three_ times today and it couldn't be later than five o'clock. Paul must've picked up on my change in mood because he cleared his throat and said:

"Well, we should let you rest Ed. Christine, let's go."

Christine looked at me for a moment, almost as if she were asking if it would be all right to leave. I smiled and nodded at her, and I noticed a slight reddening of her cheeks. She broke eye contact with me and looked at Jacen.

"Hey, new guy," she said bluntly. Jacen raised an eyebrow. "You coming? We can give you a tour of camp."

Paul rolled his eyes at Christine's rudeness.

"His name is _JACEN_, Christine," he sighed. "And, I think Jacen and Ed want to talk about some stuff, so we'll give them a tour later."

I blinked at Paul who smiled at me slightly and opened the door, ushering Christine out. She shot Jacen and me a suspicious look before walking out in a huff and exited, Paul right behind her. The door closed with a soft snap.

Jacen stretched, pulled a chair up next to my bed and straddled it.

"Weird," he said while looking where our two new acquaintances had left, "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought he was one of Apollo's kids. He seems WAY too smart though."

I might've imagined it, but I swore that the sunlight filtering through the windows became a bit more intense for a few moments. Jacen didn't seem to notice or care. He just made a sly face at me.

"Christine doesn't seem to think too much of you man." He said to me shaking his head. "She kept calling you a cocky idiot since we dragged you up from the lake. Although, after me, she checked up on you the most for the past few hours."

That was a shock. Of course, I was happy that my best friend didn't abandon me to hang out with the teenage water nymphs in the lake, but I wasn't expecting Christine to even care beyond _saving_ me. Maybe I misread her.

Jacen must've seen my thoughtful look because he smirked.

"Oh?" he chided. "Is she your type, Eddy?"

I felt my cheeks flare up like the manes of Apollo's horses.

"WHAT?" I sputtered. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MAN!"

If anything, Jacen just grinned wider.

"_RIGHT_," he added, "_BUT_ you don't deny it, so _that's_ what I'm going to assume…"

I glared at him.

"Why don't you go jump in the lake?" I snarled. Jacen laughed.

"And see those pretty naiads again? Sure!"

We laughed at that and sat in silence for a while. I stared at the mural of the satyrs in the forest for a while and then said:

"Hard to believe this is _really_ happening to us, huh Jace?"

He was quiet for a while before he responded:

"Yeah." His eyes widened a bit. "Hey Eddy, about that dream vision thing…"

Jacen proceeded to confirm my thoughts that we shared the same dream at my house this morning about the giant space eyeball. It was a relief, because up until now, I wasn't sure if he might've had a different vision altogether. I was also hoping that he might be able to shed some light on what the whole thing meant, but he was just as clueless as me.

"Maybe we should ask someone?" he said skeptically.

"Maybe…" I said, but then I remembered that feeling I got when I spoke to Demeter: My gut telling me that it wasn't a good idea to tell people about it. Speaking of the Olympian goddess, I relayed my story about meeting my dad, how everything seemed to freeze before the crash, and Demeter and her message to me. Jacen's eyes widened and he said:

"I wonder…was the time freeze only a few seconds before the crash? Like, _right_ before impact?"

My eyes widened as well and I slowly nodded. Jacen gulped and continued:

"Then, it's no coincidence. I got a message from my dad too, I think. But, he didn't appear to me like your did, or help me. He just gave me a cryptic message…"

Jacen looked down and, as he clenched his fists on his jeans, sparks erupted across his fingertips. I looked down too. Jacen just couldn't seem to catch a break! His family, (with the exception of his mom, of course) just seemed to _never_ be there for him. It just wasn't fair.

Jacen glared down at his sparking hands and clenched his fists again, and the sparks vanished.

"You're getting better at that," I said lamely. Jacen ran a hand through his spiky red hair and sighed.

"Thanks," he said. "I've been trying to keep it under wraps here though. Apparently, having pyrokinesis _isn't_ a normal power for half bloods of the Olympians, _EXCEPT_ Hephaestus' kids. And they apparently haven't heard of a fire-user for centuries. Plus, we know from Lord Apollo, that we're NOT kids of the 12 Olympians, anyways…"

I thought about that. If that was the case: who were our fathers then? The thought made me mad and _super_ confused at the same time. I had _no_ clue how to go about finding out. Then, I remembered what Jacen said just a few moments ago. I looked up at him.

"Hey," I began carefully; I didn't want to pry if Jacen didn't _feel_ like answering, "what message did your dad give you? If you don't want to talk about it…"

Jacen sighed and shook his head.

"You're my best friend Ed," he said with a crooked smile, "I don't mind telling you."

I nodded my head in appreciation.

"Thanks man," I said, "So…?"

Jacen took a breath.

"He said something about when I approach the fire…"

I didn't get to hear the rest because at that moment, Christine burst into the room making Jacen and me jump. Jacen fell out of his chair into a heap on the floor, while I ended up rolling off my bed and landed on my back. _honestly_, this girl was going to be the death of me…

"EVER HEAR OF KNOCKING?" I bellowed at her. Christine just shrugged and smirked.

"Half bloods should be prepared for an attack at ALL times," she said, like it was textbook information, "Besides, you would've been interrupted anyways, Marcy had to check up on you to see if you can be cleared to leave the infirmary."

I rolled my eyes, as Jacen staggered up from the floor rubbing his butt.

"We'll keep that in mind General…" Jacen sniped at Christine. "Who is Marcy anyways?"

"That would be me!" said a cheerful voice from outside the door. A girl, about a year or two older than us walked into the room. She had brown hair and the same blue eyes as Apollo. She even seemed to have his mega-watt smile. If she wasn't Apollo's kid, I didn't HAVE golden eyes.

"You're one of Apollo's kids!" I exclaimed. Marcy looked surprised as she strolled up to me and unlatched a bag on her hip.

"How'd you know?" she asked. Jacen and I grinned at each other.

"He was our teacher at school," I said, "also, you have the same smile as him AND his eyes. Pretty dead giveaway!"

Marcy's eyes grew to the shape of dinner plates.

"YOU'VE MET MY DAD?" she squealed. She threw aside her bag, which Christine seemed to simply snag out of the air, like it was old hat. Apparently, Marcy was _always_ this hyper.

"TELL ME EVERYTHING! WHAT'S HE LIKE? DID YOU REALLY RIDE WITH HIM TO GET TO CAMP? HE WAS YOUR TEACHER? IS HE NICE? IS HE…"

The only way to describe Marcy's rapid-fire questioning was this: it was like the sound a machine gun made as it fire. Super fast AND endless. Christine cleared her throat.

"MARCY! CAN EDDY _LEAVE_ OR NOT?" she bellowed.

That seemed to snap Marcy out of 'fan girl mode'. She stopped shaking my shoulders and gave everyone an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that," she said scratching her cheek, "It's just, not many kids at camp _ever_ get to actually _meet_ their godly parents…I just got a little over excited!"

I told her it was fine as she retrieved her bag from Christine and opened it. She handed me a small yellow square and told me to eat it. When I looked at her suspiciously she chuckled.

"It's _AMBROSIA_, silly!" she giggled. "That's what we were feeding you to help you heal!"

I nodded and popped it into my mouth and chewed. Suddenly, I felt awesome: like I was never injured at all! I was expecting something lemon-flavored, but I was surprised it tasted just like my mom's spaghetti dinners. The thought made me sad. Marcy looked at me sympathetically.

"Ambrosia tastes different for everyone," Marcy said. "It can bring back some painful memories for some people."

I took a shaky breath and nodded. Marcy told me I'd be free to go once she took my cast off. I was skeptical that it'd be healed so quickly, but when she took it off and asked if I had full movement in my arm, I was _amazed_ that I was able to say, yes!

"Alright then!" she said gleefully. "You're all healed! Take it easy today and tomorrow and you'll be back to 100 percent!"

I thanked her as I got off the bed and realized that I was in a hospital gown. Marcy blushed and ran over to a cabinet on the side of the room by the mural I hadn't noticed previously and opened it. She withdrew three orange camp T-shirts and two pairs of blue jeans and handed them to me. I thanked her again and she smiled, and then left the room so I could get changed.

Now it was only Christine, Jacen and I. I glanced at Christine and raised an eyebrow at Christine. She glared at me.

"What?" she said defiantly. I looked at Jacen who sniggered, then back at Christine again.

"Do you mind leaving so I can change?"

Her cheeks flushed pink and she left in a hurry, slamming the door behind her.

Jacen laughed.

"You sure know how to pick 'em Ed!"

I rolled my eyes at him, although, I could feel myself blushing slightly.

"Shut up, Jacen."

* * *

><p>Once I was completely dressed, Jacen and I walked out of the room into a hallway to find Christine standing there with her hands on her hips.<p>

"Can I help you?" I asked cautiously. I wasn't really looking to get punched _again_ by this chick.

"Chiron wants to see you on the front porch," she said, "He sent me to come find you!"

I exchanged glances with Jacen and he gave me a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Ed," he said. "Chiron is the camp activities director. He's a nice guy; I talked to him after getting first-aid a few hours ago."

I nodded and proceeded to follow Christine down the hallway, Jacen by my side. I suddenly remembered what Demeter had said about seeing Chiron as soon as possible when I awoke at camp. I quickened my pace. I must've been moving faster than I thought because I noticed we had walked right onto the front porch _and_ Christine had stopped. She was in the process of turning around when I bumped into her and almost knocked her down. I caught her arm before she toppled over; she glared at me, pink dusting her chocolate face. She slapped my hand off of her arm.

"Watch where you're going Eddy," she snarled, "and don't touch me! I still have to clean my mouth out from the last time you did!"

I glared right back at her. Honestly, this girl was _seriously_ getting on my nerves.

"_YOU KISSED ME_!" I hollered. A few kids walking around the camp in front of the porch stopped to look at us, and then quickly strolled away, laughing and giggling. Christine's face turned completely red.

"I TOLD YOU, IT WASN'T A KISS!" she hollered back. Jacen, who was standing off to the side watching cocked an eyebrow.

"That's not what it _looked_ like from the shoreline." He added with a smirk. Christine rounded on him.

"_WHO ASKED YOU_?"

"Am I interrupting something?" said a deep voice from somewhere close by. We all stopped to face the newcomer, who was rolling. _Yes_, rolling toward us.

He was a middle-aged man in a tweed jacket and slacks. He had intense brown eyes and a bit of a scruffy beard. His hair was brown and thinning and he had bushy eyebrows. He was seated in a wheelchair. I knew who he was instantly.

"I know you!" I exclaimed. Christine and Jacen looked at me, then each other in confusion.

"I met you at a grocery store with my mom when I was little! She said you're a family friend!"

Chiron's eyes sparkled when I said that.

"I see you remember me quite well Oedipus Brown," he said kindly. "Yes, we have met before, but I have never introduced myself. I am Chiron, camp activities director and trainer of heroes here at Camp Half Blood."

Chiron. The name rung a bell in my head. Where had I heard of that name…? Then, it clicked! _CHIRON_! The trainer of Heracles, Perseus, _and_ Jason the Argonaut! But, there was something wrong with that if this guy was really, _'The Chiron'._

"But," I asked, "If you're _THAT_ Chiron, shouldn't…shouldn't you be a…A Centaur?"

Chiron grinned at me and nodded appreciatively.

"Very good Eddy," he said, "Yes, but I find that it is easier for new campers to see me in this form. Less of a shock to them, you see. In fact, I was told that you fainted when you found out that your teacher, Mr. P, was in fact Lord Apollo?"

Christine snorted. Jacen guffawed. I…I got _super_ embarrassed. Chiron just shook his head.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," he said. "I'll change to my normal form."

Chiron seemed to wiggle a bit in his chair and from where the seat should've been solid, a front pair of white horse legs appeared, followed by a body and two more legs. Strangely enough, the 'human' legs stayed attached to the wheelchair! I figured that they _obviously_ weren't real. It was a good cover though.

"Wow." Was all I managed to say; Chiron smiled at me again.

"Thank you for the compliment, Eddy." He said.

I looked at Jacen, who didn't seemed to be at all surprised by Chiron's centaur form. He shrugged when he caught my eye.

"I pretty much asked the same thing when I met him earlier," he explained nonchalantly. "It's really cool, but I wasn't surprised…"

Christine snorted again.

"You _NEARLY_ set the porch on fire when you met him you liar." She chided. Jacen's face turned as red as his hair and he turned away from her with a huff. I laughed and looked at Chiron again.

"So, you wanted to see me, Chiron?" I asked. He nodded. I realized that to look in his eyes now I had to look up rather than down. It was a weird change.

"Indeed," he said. "I have heard of your battle with the Chimera, Lord Apollo's journey with you two here…But," his face turned serious. "I would like to hear of your vision from Lady Demeter at the bottom of the lake if you don't mind?"

I blinked at him. How could he know…? _Right_, I thought. Immortal horse-dude. _OF COURSE_ he would _somehow_ know. Christine was looking at the two of us in shock.

"Just a minute!" she demanded. "You mean to tell me that Lady Demeter talked to _YOU_?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

"And why is _that_ so unbelievable to you?" I answered, annoyed. _SERIOUSLY_, what was _UP_ with this girl? She shook her head in disbelief, crossed her arms, and didn't reply.

_FOR ONCE_.

I told Chiron everything Demeter and I talked about in my vision, although, I left out the part about talking to my dad. Chiron tilted his head to the side.

"And," he said, "Your father did not contact you at all?"

I froze. _Of course_ he would know about _THAT_ somehow too! Stupid immortals.

"Yeah, he did," I admitted, "but we didn't speak, he just helped me survive the crash. You see, he…"

Chiron held up a hand to tell me I shouldn't continue. He looked around warily. Jacen and Christine exchanged curious glances at me and I shrugged. Chiron looked at me again and nodded.

"Sorry, Eddy," he said, "Some things are better left unsaid. This matter with Demeter will have to be discussed at a later time however. It is almost time for the evening feast."

He smiled at Christine who stood at attention.

"Christine," he said, "would you please show our two new campers to the dining pavilion?"

She looked like she was going to protest, but after a moment, she deflated and nodded.

"Of course, Chiron," she said with a sigh. It was the most polite I've heard her speak since we met. She regarded Jacen and me like we were annoying little kids she had to babysit. "Come on, you two."

She started to walk off, and I was about to follow, when I turned to look at Chiron, who was gazing off into the sky over the Long Island Sound in the distance.

"Um, Chiron?" I asked carefully. He broke his gaze from the horizon and nodded for me to continue.

"Do you…do you think I'll ever get claimed by my dad?"

Chiron regarded me for a few moments and then said:

"The Gods work in mysterious ways, Eddy."

Well, _THAT_ didn't make me feel any better.

"But," he continued, "I have _no_ doubt that your father will claim you any day now. After all, you _are_ his only half blood son."

I wanted to ask what _that_ meant, but before I could, Chiron smiled and nodded at me, and galloped off toward the feast.

* * *

><p>Jacen and I followed Christine up a hill towards the dining pavilion. It was framed with Greek columns and I noticed there were no walls or ceiling, and was open to the sky above. When we got to the entrance, I noticed it overlooked the sea, which was pretty cool. Being from Pittsburgh, Jacen and I had <em>never<em> been to the sea, so it was a first for both of us. Inside at tables covered by a white tablecloth with purple trim, at least 50 campers sat, talking to each other and horsing around. Speaking of horses, as we arrived, I saw Chiron stride up to a table that was slightly elevated above the others. Torches on the columns lit the pavilion and there was a central fire that blazed in the middle of the space, in a brazier the size of a bathtub. I was_ SERIOUSLY_ impressed; then, my stomach growled, and I was _SERIOUSLY_ hungry.

Christine turned to Jacen and me with a frown.

"So." She said.

"So, what?" we both said at the same time. She rolled her eyes at us.

"Since, _neither_ of you know _who_ your godly parent is, you'll be allowed to sit wherever you want for now. Let me give you a bit of advice: _DON'T_ sit with the Hermes kids, unless you want your food stolen," she gestured to a table near the edge of the pavilion where kids were swiping each other's swords, shields, and sandwiches. "Aphrodite," she gestured to a bunch of good-looking boys and girls who were chatting and gossiping. Jacen made toward them, but Christine held him by the back of shirt. "Is _NOT_ the way to go, unless you _want_ them to break your heart and then laugh about it."

Jacen deflated and looked away from a blonde girl who was waving flirtatiously at him.

"Hephaestus is _OKAY_, but their not the most social bunch," she gestured at a table with a bunch of well-built, burly boys and girls who were tinkering with little metal coils and tools, "Apollo is okay as well, _but_ unless you want Marcy to bombard you with questions, I wouldn't recommend it…"

I glanced at the Apollo kids, who were ra really enthusiastic group; whom were all joking around. Marcy caught my eye and waved madly at me. I waved back half-heartedly and broke eye contact. _NO THANKS_. Christine continued her explanation.

"Ares…" she said slowly, and I didn't even need to guess which table belonged to the God of War. At one table near the Hephaestus kids sat the meanest looking group of kids I'd ever laid eyes on. When they noticed us looking they growled and glared at us. Strangely, I noticed no of them were looking at Christine like that. I gulped.

"We'll avoid the Ares table, then." I said weakly. Jacen nodded his agreement. Christine scoffed.

"They're not so tough," she spat. I looked at the giant biceps on one Ares kid's arms and quietly disagreed. "They just act like it. I can whip any one of 'em!"

I looked at Christine's small size and _SERIOUSLY_ doubted it. She was fierce, but I just couldn't see her surviving a fight with Hulk Hogan over there. I kept that to myself, of course.

"Anyways, Demeter and Athena," she gestured at two tables right next to each other. One had very kind looking kids at one (I instantly _knew_ they were Demeter kids) while the other had book wormy looking kids. I noticed though that some of them had a fierce kind of intelligence in their eyes, like they were trying to figure out the best possible way to take them down. I started toward the Demeter kids, Jacen in tow, when Christine stopped us again. Jacen groaned.

"What _NOW_?" he snapped. I could tell Jacen was _starving_. The kid was _always_ the first in the cafeteria at school for lunch. Christine rolled her eyes.

"You two don't _know_ anyone at those tables!" she quipped. "It would be a little odd if you just squeezed in with them!"

I scoffed.

"Look, we don't _KNOW_ anyone at camp except, you, Paul, Marcy, and Chiron! Speaking of Paul, where's he sitting?"

Christine pointed at a lone table on the other side of the pavilion where Paul sat alone, with a book propped up on a goblet. He was really into the book, but I had to think the guy must be lonely. Jacen rubbed his stomach irritably, but even he looked confused about why Paul was sitting there.

"Why's he sitting there?" he asked. Christine looked at Paul sympathetically, which for some reason, made me a little jealous.

"Like you guys," she began sadly, "Paul and I, we were never claimed upon arriving at camp."

My eyebrows rose.

"Really?" I asked, "Why not?"

Christine's expression turned grumpy again.

"I don't know!" she snapped. Jacen scratched his head.

"Well, if unclaimed kids can sit wherever they want, why doesn't he?"

Christine shuffled her feet awkwardly.

"Well, he likes to be alone, is what he always says," she muttered. I figured there was more to the story but I just listened. "I usually sit with him, but lately…"

"Lately…?" I prompted. Christine shot me a warning look.

"We've kind of drifted apart, _OKAY_?" she snarled. "Just because HE doesn't want friends, doesn't mean I have to be the same!"

I looked at her in shock: like she just slapped me. As much as she annoyed me, I could relate with her. I didn't have any friends besides Jacen, but even I always wanted to make more. Don't get me wrong: Jacen is _awesome_. But, who only wants _one_ friend? I'm sure Jacen felt the same way. Christine looked down in shame.

"That was mean," she mumbled. "I…I just wished Paul wasn't so stubborn about being a loner sometimes. He's social enough around camp, and everyone likes him…He just never really befriends anyone. Except me, but still…"

I had never seen Christine seem so _normal_ since I met her. She seemed like the kind of person who was tough as nails and no nonsense. To be honest, it was a nice change. I turned to look at Jacen, who was _gone_.

I looked around frantically, and spotted him heading towards Paul at the lone table. Other camper's heads turned and they murmured as they watched Jacen approach the still reading Paul. Christine gasped.

"Paul's _not_ going to like this, she muttered. "Besides me, he turns away _EVERYBODY_!"

'It's too late to tell Jacen that' was all I could think as he made his way up to Paul. I watched as Jacen sat across from Paul, who was _still_ reading, and twiddled his thumbs. Paul looked up from his book and stared at Jacen. Jacen stared back. And then, to the shock of _everyone_ in the pavilion, (I noticed even Chiron was watching in interest) Paul…

_SMILED_.

Christine and I let out breaths we didn't even know we were holding and strode after Jacen towards the table. Campers turned back to their conversations and dinner as we walked by. I noticed Chiron giving Jacen an approving smile and nod as he too went back to eating. We got to the table and I slid in next to Jacen, while Christine sat on the other side, next to Paul.

Paul smiled and shook his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you guys wanted to sit by _ME_ of all people!" he laughed. I smiled.

"I don't see why not: you're the _only_ other person I know besides Jacen and Christine!"

Paul smiled gratefully at me. Then, as he looked around at the other tables he frowned.

"People tend to give me a wide berth because I seem like I don't want to hang out with anybody," he said with a sigh. I glanced at Christine who blushed and gave me a look like: 'Say _ANYTHING_ and _I'LL KILL YOU!_'.

"It makes sense though," Paul continued. "I'm _nearly_ 17, I'm the _oldest_ camper at Camp Half blood and I stay here year round. I guess I put off a mysterious aura or something…"

Jacen laughed.

"Hey man," he said taking a bite out of a leg of chicken that seemed to just appear, "we've ALL got a mysterious side. Look at me! I'm like; the _MAN OF MYSTERY_!"

Paul and I laughed, while Christine tried to look serious, but even _she_ cracked a smile. Paul smiled.

"Well, it's a _nice_ change," he added, "feel free to sit with me anytime guys!"

I noticed that my plate was suddenly full of food, Chicken and dumplings, along with a side of applesauce. I leaped back.

"_WHAT THE_…?"

Christine laughed at my expression and shook a chicken leg at me mockingly.

"I see you've just noticed the Aurae!" she sniggered. I looked at her in confusion.

"Wind spirits?" I asked, remembering Mr. P's lesson about them. Paul nodded.

"All of the meals are prepared by aurae," he added, "They're invisible, and serve the food. It takes some getting used to, but you'll stop being surprised in about a week or so."

Jacen took another huge bite of chicken.

"_I LOVE IT_!" he bellowed, not even bothering to chew. "Invisible servants at my beck and call! Could it get _ANY BETTER_?"

Not a second later, Jacen found his face in his applesauce, courtesy of what I assumed was a peeved aurae. I chuckled.

"I don't think they appreciate being called 'servants' Jace."

Jacen wiped applesauce off his face with a napkin.

"No kidding." He grumbled. We all laughed and continued to eat and drink and just chat. Paul and Christine, we found out, had been at camp for a few years. Christine for two, and Paul on his fifth year. I noticed that they both had leather necklaces on with two beads, for Christine, and four, for Paul. I pointed at them with my fork.

"What's up with the necklaces?" I asked. Christine tugged at hers.

"Every year, at the end of summer, the cabin heads get together and decide on the most important event of the year. This one," she pointed at the first bead that had a small picture of a campfire on it, "was from the time that the campfire went haywire and nearly burnt down the amphitheater…"

Jacen nearly choked on his food and went white as a ghost. I patted his back absentmindedly.

"And this one," she pointed at another one that was painted green with a weird arrow on it, "was when the satyrs grafftied the Hermes cabin. Apparently, the cabin kept stealing strawberries from the farm over by the Big House (that's where you met Chiron) and the satyr's were peeved. They spray painted the whole cabin with things like: Thieves, and: Berry bad half bloods…"

Jacen, who could breathe normally, sniggered.

"Berry bad…" he chortled. I had to laugh as well. I looked at Paul, who was smiling fondly at the memories.

"What about yours?" I asked, pointing at the two on his necklace that Christine didn't have, "what are those?"

Paul began to answer, but was interrupted by Chiron who stamped his hooves for attention. All conversation stopped and everyone turned to look at him.

"CAMPERS!" he bellowed. "A few important announcements!"

I slapped Jacen's fork out of his hand as he tried to ignore Chiron in favor of stuffing his face.

"Firstly," Chiron continued, "I would like to welcome _two_ new campers this year! Eddy Brown and Jacen Darklighter! Stand up, please!"

We did, and there was a round of cheering and applause. Chiron gestured for us to sit back down. We quickly did.

"Secondly, Capture the Flag will be tonight, followed by the campfire! I hope you will include our new campers in the festivities and show them the ropes! Normal camp activities shall resume tomorrow! With that, let us offer a portion of this wonderful feast, to the Gods!"

Everyone got up and made their way to the brazier in the center of the pavilion, or smaller ones near the edges. The four of us walked to the one closest to our corner and began to scrape a portion of our food in.

When it was Jacen's turn he took two whole chicken legs and a goblet filled to the brim with Mountain Dew (as if the kid _needed_ the stuff) and dropped it into the fire.

"LORD APOLLO!" He bellowed. "Thanks for being an awesome teacher, even if you're _not_ the greatest chariot driver!"

Everyone laughed who was in earshot at his remark. I guess everyone saw the _epic_ crash earlier. Jacen leaned down and whispered:

"Just kidding man. But thanks!"

Christine and Paul didn't say anything in particular, except to offer their gratitude. When I stepped up for my turn, I dumped in two apples, a chicken leg, and the rest of my applesauce. I muttered:

"Thanks Lord Apollo…" I paused. Should I say something to my dad? He wasn't an Olympian, from what I could gather, but he _was_ immortal. I leaned down and whispered into the flame:

"And um, thanks dad." I felt like an idiot. Hopefully, even though I didn't know his name, he would get the offering and my message.

"Thanks for the help earlier, and dad?"

I thought about how to say this next part, and I decided to be honest.

"After everything that's happened today, I'd be really grateful if you'd just let me know _who_ you are. And help Paul and Christine, and _ESPECIALLY_ Jacen with that too. Nobody deserves to not know who their family is."

There was no sound after that except the crackle of the magical flames in the brazier. I sighed, took my plate, and turned away. I walked a few steps toward my friends when I'm almost _POSITIVE_ I heard, like a whisper on the wind:

"_You shall know soon, son. I promise_."

I whipped around and ran back to the brazier, but there was nothing to be heard but the crackle of the flames again. Christine gave me an odd look.

"What was _that_ about?" she asked suspiciously. I tried to come up with a _reasonable_ sounding excuse.

"I, um; I thought that I might've missed the brazier with a piece of chicken?"

Jacen sniggered, and Paul raised his eyebrows.

"Whatever," said Christine: as she rolled her eyes. "Let's go Oedipus: you need a weapon and _proper_ instruction if we're gonna stand a chance at winning Capture the Flag tonight!"

I rolled my eyes at her and looked back at the brazier one more time, before I ran and caught up with Jacen, and my new friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Notes: ****To answer two questions I've gotten:**

**- Matt: I love that you're adamant about Percy and pals showing up! And as I said: they WILL. Just not for a while. Also, your question about pairings? Yes: Eddy and Christine ARE an item. There will be more to come as the story progresses on pairings, but I'm glad you asked!**

**NOTE: Okay folks, this is where things are going to get CRAZY. Now, I'm going to introduce a bunch of OC's in this chapter to replace canon characters that you're used to seeing at Camp Half-Blood. BUT BEFORE you decide to stop reading here, let me AT LEAST explain that the WHOLE sub-plot of why Percy and pals aren't around hinges on these OC's. I don't expect ANYONE to figure out what that means just yet; but I PROMISE it'll make more sense as the story gets closer to its conclusion!**

****On a random note,** it's also snowing here...I HATE snow. **

**Chapter 7: We Claim A Flag, And Then Get CLAIMED by Dads**

Jacen and I started to head out the entrance to the pavilion when Christine called out to us.

"HELLO?" she snapped. We spun around to find her tapping her foot impatiently and glaring. Paul had his hands in his pockets, with an eyebrow raised at us.

"Why, hello Christine!" Jacen beamed. "So nice to see you here! Oh! And Paul as well! It feels like it's been _ages_ since we last saw each other!"

Christine glared even more at us, while Paul and I laughed at Jacen's remark. Christine rolled her eyes.

"Don't you _want_ to meet the other campers?" she asked. I looked at Jacen who nodded slightly and we followed Christine over to where the other campers milled around chatting and goofing off.

A girl with light brown hair, and blue eyes ran over to Christine and embraced her tightly. Christine gasped and said:

"Kaley! It's…nice to see you too…" she wheezed. "Now, _PLEASE LET ME GO_!"

The girl named Kaley let her go and beamed at Jacen and me. Jacen must've thought he was going to get a hug too, because he had his arms open for an embrace, but when Kaley didn't give him one, he put his arms down in disappointment.

"It's _really_ great to meet you guys!" Kaley gushed. She was cute, in a toy doll kind of way. She was shorter than all of us, but had an air of serenity about her, that seemed oddly familiar.

"You must be a daughter of Demeter right?" I guessed. Kaley beamed even brighter.

"You're right! Great guess! How'd you know?" she said.

I was about to say that I had met her mom earlier, but after the incident with Marcy, I decided to just shrug and say, "Lucky guess?"

Kaley seemed to take that without suspicion and lead us over to a group of kids who were standing apart from the others waiting to meet us, I supposed.

"I'm the Cabin Head for Cabin 4!" Kaley exclaimed. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Cabin Head?" I asked curiously. Kaley went on to explain that half bloods were put into different cabins, by their godly parent. Some only had one member, while others, like the Hermes cabin, had a bunch of kids that were half-brothers of sisters. The thought of that made me a little sad. I always wanted a sibling, being an only child sometimes got lonely, especially when my _only_ friend at home was Jacen, and he lived too far from me to hang out all the time.

We reached the group and introduced ourselves. We met the Cabin Heads, each one drastically different than the others.

There was Kaley McCarthy for Demeter, whom we just met, next, was Alex Noble, a chubby 15 year old with rosy cheeks and a kind of drunken demeanor. He was head of the Dionysus Cabin, and was the only one in his cabin. Next, was Abby Harper: of Athena. She had stormy gray eyes, and wispy brown hair in a loose ponytail and glasses. She looked part nerd, part 'I can take you down easily.' She reminded me of Christine a little bit. The thought was _not_ comforting, to say the least. Then, there was Robert Schaffer: of Hephaestus. He was a burly German kid, with muscled arms and calloused hands. His handshake almost crushed Jacen and my hands when we shook. Next, a really pretty girl with wavy brown hair and bright, mesmerizing eyes named Kyra Kennedy walked up to us. She hugged Jacen, who introduced himself babbling like an idiot, and gave me a peck on the cheek and fluttered her eyelashes at me.

"N-nice to m-meet you?" I said stupidly. I had a wicked blush on my face, until Christine elbowed me in the side. She was pouting and looked peeved. I would've thought she was jealous, but that would be _too_ much to hope for. The girl was _SERIOUSLY_ bi-polar about things.

We had already met Marcy Johnson, who was the Head of Apollo Cabin, and she told Jacen and me that she _would_ be grilling us for information about her dad, Apollo at some point. Jacen and I made a silent agreement to give Marcy a wide berth if possible.

Blake Ortega, the head of Hermes cabin shook both of our hands next. He was a tall, scrawny kid with short brown hair and mischievous eyes. I subconsciously gripped my sickle necklace a little tighter. I didn't trust that Blake wouldn't _attempt_ to palm it from me while I wasn't paying attention.

Lastly, I noticed a shadow fall over me and looked up to see a boy that would've made Jake Malsen cry for his mommy. He had small, beady eyes the color of cobalt, and a mean sneer on his face. He was muscled like a body builder and let off an aura that said: 'you want to fight? Bring it!' I didn't have to guess which cabin he headed.

"Kevin Volpe, Head of Cabin 5," he said gruffly. He shook my hand so hard, I'm almost sure he broke it. He smiled cruelly as he let go. Jacen went the smart route and just nodded a greeting to him.

"You're the new campers? I heard you two fought a Chimera and won. That true?"

The way he asked the question made me feel like even if we said yes, which was _true_, he didn't think we _could've_. The thought made me angry.

"Yeah, we DID," I said in challenge. Christine's eyebrows rose in appreciation and she gave me a small smirk out of the corner of my eye. Jake laughed menacingly.

"Haha, good one punk!" he said. "Watch yourself tonight though, since you're new blood, I'm going to be gunning for you. Better not cross me if you know what's good for you."

I was about to say: bring it on! When Jacen tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a: _ARE YOU STUPID_ kind of look. I shrugged and walked back toward Christine and Paul. Christine waved at the campers.

"We'll see you guys at the entrance of the forest to pick teams around 7:00," she called as we began to walk away. "These two need armor and weapons!"

Everyone (with the exception of Kevin) said his or her goodbyes, and we headed out of the pavilion. I was about to tell Christine that I _had_ a weapon, but she started to talk to Paul in hushed tones and glanced back at us to make sure we were following. Jacen turned to me.

"Great," he sighed looking up at the evening sky. "_Another_ Jake Malsen, THIS is going to be WONDERFUL."

I laughed and put my arm around his shoulder.

"Look at it this way man," I said, "Before, you didn't have a way to fight Malsen, _NOW_, if Volpe gives you any trouble, you can just set his pants on fire!"

Jacen chuckled and nodded. We stopped walking when we noticed Paul and Christine had stopped walking too. Christine had her arms crossed (Surprise!) and looked annoyed about something. Paul just smiled at her, looked at us and said:

"Jacen, you'll be with me for your tour and to get your stuff," he said. "We'll have to talk to Chiron about having you and Eddy stay in the Hermes cabin like us, since you don't have a godly parent yet."

Paul sounded a little bitter at the end of his explanation, which I could understand, but I kept thinking back to the voice I'm sure I heard a few minutes ago at the brazier.

'You will know soon son, I promise.' It had said.

I was sure that by the end of the night I would at least _know_ who my dad was. And, if he _really_ listened to my request, I hoped Paul, Christine, and Jacen would know soon too.

Christine rolled her eyes at me.

"You're with me then, Eddy." She quipped. I had only known her for a day, but I figured her attitude toward me, was going to be an everyday thing. _AWESOME_.

"Alright, I guess," I said. I looked at Jacen who was standing next to Paul nervously. "I'll catch up with you guys at the game later!"

Jacen grinned.

"Make sure you get a cool _weapon_ Eddy," he said with a knowing smirk. I smiled back. Then Jacen added:

"And no _funny_ business you two!"

Christine and I blushed and said some choice retorts to Jacen, while he and Paul laughed. We all went our separate ways, Paul and Jacen towards the armory, and Christine and I toward a large campfire towards the center of the camp.

* * *

><p>The center of the camp was like nothing I had ever seen before. In a reverse U-shape the Greek buildings I had seen as we flew by in the chariot ringed the perimeter of the area, while a large amphitheater was dug into the ground in the center, with a large, roaring fire where the stage would be. All around the area were statues of the 12 Olympians, decked out in Greek battle dress with swords, shields, and their signature weapons. Christine led me around the 'U' and pointed out all the cabins.<p>

She led me towards the largest two, which stood at the center of the 'U'.

"These two cabins are for Zeus and Hera." She said. I looked up at them. Zeus' cabin was _HUGE_. It towered over the others, which made sense: the guy _was_ the King of the Gods, after all. It was a marble building that looked like a mausoleum, with heavy columns. There were big bronze double doors that were polished in a way that made it look like it had lightning bolts passing across it. I thought it looked cool, a little _too_ cool for the same god that tried to knock me out of the sky earlier.

Hera's cabin was also made out of marble, but it looked more formal. It had slim columns with pomegranates and flowers around them. There were images of peacocks on the wall, which were her sacred animal, I guessed.

I was a bit confused that these cabins were here, after all: wasn't Hera like; the Goddess of Marriage? I didn't think she would go running around (like Zeus did) having half blood kids left and right.

Christine must've noticed the bewildered look on my face because she laughed and said:

"Don't think about it _too_ much Eddy," she chided. I turned to look at her. "Cabins 1, 2, and 3 (Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon) are just _HONORARY_. The Big Three haven't _had_ any demigod children in a _long time_; not since Heracles, and the rest of those ancient heroes…"

I nodded and then asked:

"What about Hera, then?"

Christine just stared at me like I had called her fat.

"Right." I said lamely. "Goddess of Marriage…"

I glanced over at a long, low building with windows that were facing the ocean. The cabin was made from rough sea stone. And had pieces of coral and seashell embedded onto the outside walls, with a trident and a big number 3 over the door.

"Poseidon?" I asked. Christine just nodded and we walked towards the other cabins. While we walked I asked something that bothered me about the first three cabins.

"Why doesn't Hades have a cabin?"

There was a slight rumbling of the ground when I said it, and Christine looked at me with wide eyes and hissed:

"_STUPID_! We don't refer to _HIM_ by his _NAME_! We call him 'The Silent One', or other things!"

I nodded and Christine continued in a whisper:

"Besides, _HE_ doesn't technically count, since he's never had a half blood child that we know of, and spends all of his time in the Underworld."

I glanced down at the ground and hoped it wasn't going to open up and swallow me for saying the name 'Hades' out loud. Christine rolled her eyes at me and said:

"C'mon, Eddy," she said impatiently, "We _still_ need to get you a weapon. I'll show you the rest of the cabins later…"

I nodded, looking back at Zeus' cabin one last time. Call me crazy: but for some reason, I couldn't shake off the feeling that _SOMEONE_ or _SOMETHING_ was watching me…

Christine and I made our way towards the Athena Cabin, a gray building with plain white curtains and a design of an owl over the door. We didn't stop at the cabin though; Christine led me around back to a big metal shed. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're not serious." I stated. Christine blew a strand of loose hair from her face and glared at me.

"You want a weapon or _NOT_?" she growled. She acted like I just punted her cat across the camp lake.

"Well, I already…" I began, but Christine had already opened the doors and stepped inside. I followed after her while groaning.

Once I got inside the shed I realized that I _TOTALLY_ underestimated the place. It was filled to the brim with swords, spears, clubs, and in a corner, I even saw a 12-gauge shotgun!

"Umm," I began uncertainly, "can you even _KILL_ a monster with a shotgun?"

Christine, who was sorting through a few battle-axes, answered:

"It's not the shotgun that _kills_ the monster Eddy. It's the _bullets_. They're made of Celestial Bronze. The metal of the Olympians."

"I've never heard of that in myths!" I stated. Christine's back was still facing me, but I _knew_ that she rolled her eyes.

"That's because the people who wrote most myths back in Ancient Greece _weren't_ half bloods! They wouldn't _know_ about magically endowed metals!"

"Oh," I said stupidly. "That's…interesting."

"Just shut up and come here," Christine said pointedly. Gee, this girl was a _REAL_ piece of work. "I need to find the right weapon for you!"

"Christine," I tried again, "You see, I already…"

I didn't get to finish because Christine started shoving weapons of all different types in my hands. A sword, knives, axes, spears, honestly: the list could go on forever. While I made a few swings with each one, Christine circled around me, watching intensely. To tell the truth, I felt embarrassed! Especially when she told me to stop and examined my bicep intently.

"You've got a good muscular build for a mid-ranged melee weapon. Maybe a short, thrusting weapon or, perhaps a javelin-type…"

I was amazed that Christine knew SO much about weaponry. I knew she was a bit of a warrior chick, but I was blown away at how she would take weapons out of my hand and expertly show me how to properly wield, attack, and block with each one. She moved with them like it was completely _NATURAL_: like she was just using an extension of her arms.

"You're _AWESOME_ Christine!" I gaped. She stopped spinning a javelin in her hand and blushed. It was sort of cute.

"I…I'm just good with weapons, I guess…" she said humbly. It was the most reserved I had heard her speak, since she talked with Chiron earlier. It was like she was a completely _DIFFERENT_ girl now. BUT, _I KNEW_ it was too good to be true because she went right back to glaring at me.

"But, it's _not_ about me finding a weapon, it's about getting you one!"

I _SERIOUSLY_ couldn't put up with her mood swings anymore.

"LISTEN! I _HAVE_ A WEAPON ALREADY!_ LOOK_!"

I pulled my necklace from the inside of my camp T-shirt and showed it to her. She cocked an eyebrow and stared at it.

And stared some more….

And then…

She _LAUGHED AT ME_! I growled in frustration.

"THAT'S JUST A NECKLACE IDIOT!" She chuckled.

I glared at her, and flicked the sickle hanging off of it. And, lo and behold, I held my _awesome_ sickle sword up to her to see.

Her eyes pretty much bulged out of her face. I've got to say, I wished I had a camera. Her expression was _PRICELESS._ I laughed.

"Not to _shabby_, huh?" I said with a smirk. She just shook her head.

"Eddy," she said with a quaver in her voice, "_WHERE_ DID YOU GET THAT?"

I told her how my teacher Mr. P (Apollo), had given it to me this morning as a gift and how I used it in my fight against the Chimera. She shook her head more vigorously.

"NO EDDY," she said shaking her head. I raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. "It'd make sense if Lord Apollo gave you a Celestial Bronze, or even an Imperial Gold weapon but…"

She looked at my sickle sword like it was a priceless artifact.

"That's…that's, _Titanic Silver_!"

I arched _BOTH_ eyebrows this time.

"And?" I asked. "What's the big deal about that?"

Christine glared at me, _AGAIN_.

"Eddy," she said with a resigned sigh, "you don't know how _rare_ Titanic Silver is! It was thought to be lost after the Olympians took power from the Titans, it was the legendary metal forged by Iapetus himself!"

I blinked and looked down at my weapon. It glowed with that faint golden light on the edge of the silver blade. I had _NO_ idea that my weapon was so unique! Christine looked at it reverently.

"No one's even sure what properties it has anymore, except the Titans themselves! And they've been dethroned by the Olympians…"

"That's _NOT_ true." I stated. Christine looked at me like I was stupid and began to open her mouth to correct me, but I _knew_ that she was wrong. So, I found myself telling Christine all about how the story got messed up by mortal authors who just wanted to make the hand over of power between the Olympians and Titans more exciting. When I was finished, she looked at me skeptically.

"That's a great take on the truth Eddy, but what _PROOF_ do you have that any of that's even accurate?"

"Lady Demeter." I answered, and Christine's eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"So, what Chiron said about you meeting Lady Demeter was _TRUE_?" she shouted. I covered her mouth with my hand and looked at the open doors of the shed.

"Not so loud," I hissed. She swatted my hand off her face. "I've already got Marcy dogging me for details about her dad, I don't need all of the Demeter cabin coming after me too!"

Christine clicked her tongue and looked back at my blade.

"Does your weapon have a name?" she asked out of the blue. I looked down at it. I never really even thought about that before. Do weapons even have a name?

As I thought it, it felt as if my sickle gave an irritated hum of energy that coursed through my body. I almost dropped it. Then, almost like someone just whispered the answer into my head I said:

"_Ananke_. Ordinance." I whispered. Christine nodded her head.

"Interesting name…" she commented. "I've never heard one like that before."

In my hand, Ananke seemed to let off a satisfied hum. _THAT WAS WEIRD_. I never noticed before, but each time I fought, it felt as if Ananke was _ALWAYS_ somewhat _PRESENT_. Almost like it was…

My thoughts were interrupted when a loud familiar voice called:

"Eddy, Christine! You guys in there?"

Since I didn't need a weapon anymore, Christine grabbed some armor in my general size and gave it to me. I tapped Ananke's blade and it returned to necklace form around my neck again. Christine's mouth hung open in astonishment.

"I've…I've never seen a weapon do _THAT_!" She said in surprise. I just grinned at her and we walked out of the shed to see Jacen and Paul standing there waiting for us. I noticed they were both already in their armor for Capture The Flag. Jacen shot a coy look at me and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively while looking between Christine and me. I glared at him and he just grinned wider.

"Just making sure!" he said with a shrug. Christine shot him a suspicious look.

"Making sure of _WHAT_, exactly?" she snapped.

"Making sure my bro explained to you that he already HAD a weapon, and didn't actually NEED to come over here." Jacen replied with a smirk. Christine huffed and walked right by him to talk to Paul, who watched the whole exchange with a bored indifference.

I noticed Jacen didn't have a visible weapon on him.

"Where's your new weapon, Jace?" I asked curiously. Jacen grinned and raised an eyebrow at me like I was stupid: which I was. _FIRE GUY,_ I thought, while palming my forehead. Paul and Christine walked back over to us.

"So I hear you've got a rare weapon Eddy, can I check it out?" Paul asked with a smile. I showed Paul my necklace and had it transform into Ananke. His eyes widened and he babbled on about the same things Christine did pretty much. Nerds, I thought with a smirk. Jacen, who had already seen Ananke plenty of times, was surprised that it had a name.

"What kind of name is 'Ordinance'?" he asked.

I felt Ananke give off another irritated buzz of energy.

"A good one, bro." I responded with a grin. Jacen shrugged again. Paul said it would be a good idea to show Ananke to Chiron to check out as well, seeing that he was a weapon specialist and could probably tell me more about it. He _was _an Immortal horse-dude after all, I thought. I slipped into my armor and fastened the straps and cords as Paul helped, and once I was suited up, reverted Ananke back into a necklace and together, we headed off towards the forest, where the game would start.

* * *

><p>When we arrived at the edge of the forest, we were met by the entirety of the camp, including Chiron. Everyone was already breaking up into teams. I looked at Jacen and we gulped.<p>

Back at Winchester Thurston, every time we had P.E, Jacen and I were _ALWAYS_ chosen last. It wasn't because we weren't athletic or anything, but no one wanted to seem like they were being friendly with us, or Jake Malsen would run them down and beat them up.

Christine grabbed Jacen and me by the arms and led us over to where Abby Harper, head of Athena cabin was captain for the blue team. Kevin Volpe, of Ares, was heading the red team. Just as we were about to ask to join, Kevin Volpe cried out:

"Not so fast Christine!" he bellowed. We wheeled around to see Kevin making his way over to us with his intimidating swagger. He glowered down at Christine, who was AT LEAST two heads shorter than him, but she was glaring back. I had to give her props for that. I would've hidden if I were her size.

"Problem, Kevin?" she asked. Kevin's beady eyes narrowed.

"Oh yeah, there is!" he snarled. "You AND Paul agreed to be on MY team this game, since you two were the REASON Abby's team won last time! It's only fair!"

Christine glanced at Paul who nodded hesitantly.

"We _DID_ agree Christine," Paul said slowly. He shot Jacen and me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, guys."

Kevin did a look over of Jacen and me and scoffed.

"Holding the noobs hands I see," he sneered. "Don't worry about them, they SAY they defeated a Chimera, but when it comes to melee fighting, Ares kids are the BEST!"

Paul cleared his throat and looked at Kevin with a straight face.

"That may be so, Kevin," he said calmly. "BUT, you wanted Christine and me because I'm the best strategist at camp," he looked at Abby, who was listening intently with a frown, "Sorry Abby." He said with a small smile. Abby just shrugged and told him it was true. For a non-Athena kid to get a compliment like that _from_ an Athena kid must've been a big deal, because everyone within earshot glanced at Paul with newfound respect and awe.

"And also," Paul continued, now face to face with Kevin, who almost took a step back, but held firm. "You WANTED Christine too because she's the BEST weapon user at Camp Half Blood amongst us half bloods."

I _had_ to agree with that. Watching how Christine could just pick up _any_ weapon and look like a master of it, regardless of the type, shape, or size was _no_ small feat. Christine blushed under Paul's praise. I felt my jaw tighten a bit.

Kevin just scoffed and waved aside the accusations.

"Whatever, Everhart," he droned. "Just making sure you two don't go CHANGING sides or going back on agreements."

Christine rolled her eyes and walked over to where the red team was gathering without so much as a backward glance at Jacen and me. Paul gave us another apologetic smile and walked with Kevin towards where Christine left. Abby, who watched them walk away, turned back to everyone gathered and sighed.

"I was hoping Kevin would forget about _that_ agreement," she huffed. "I should've known better; that buffoon _loves_ to win. Without Christine and Paul, we're at a disadvantage. Paul _wasn't_ lying when he said all of that stuff."

I felt my jaw tighten again in irritation. What were the rest of the campers on the blue team? Chopped liver?

"We _can_ still win." I said, feeling bolder then normal. Something was really irritating me about the whole situation that just went down. I couldn't place my finger on it, but I was irritated nonetheless.

Everyone on the blue team and Jacen turned to look at me. A kid from Hermes cabin looked at me skeptically.

"What makes you so _sure_, Eddy?" he said. I turned to look at Jacen and smiled.

"I don't want to brag, but today, Jacen and I took down a Chimera, _AND_ survived a crash in the Sun God Apollo's chariot, and we're still able to fight! Also, you guys haven't seen what we can do! Just give us a chance and we'll show Kevin and the red team that the blue team doesn't need an unfair advantage!"

The members of the blue team looked at each other doubtfully, while Jacen beamed and gave me the thumbs up. Suddenly Abby said:

"Eddy, you're _COMPLETELY_ right."

Everyone turned and looked at her. She scanned all of our faces.

"We just need a _good_ plan. Let me see…" she began to think with her eyes closed, and not ten seconds later they opened with a snap.

"All right, here's what we're going to do," she said. Everyone leaned in to listen. "Since the Apollo kids are the fastest, you'll be the first wave in. Hermes cabin!" All of the Hermes kids stood at attention awkwardly, which was pretty funny. "You guys are the best with diversions and tricks. You'll be the second wave in. I'll need one of you to stay behind, along with one Apollo camper to help guard the flag. Any volunteers?"

Two boys stepped out of the group with their hands raised. Abby nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you. Athena and Hephaestus will be the second to last line of defense. Build traps: outsmart them. Make sure you stay alert for any kind of diversionary tactic or ruse though, Paul _is_ the best strategist I've seen. He'll plan four moves in advance to counter any strategies I make, so make sure you're flexible and ready to change plans at the drop of a hat!"

The Hephaestus and Athena cabins nodded. Finally, Abby turned to look at Jacen and me.

"I'm taking a bit of a calculated risk on you two," she began seriously. I _didn't_ like the way those gray eyes seemed to scan me from behind those glasses. "You two will be with Shawn and Jake," she gestured to the two boys from earlier who had stepped out of line, "as our _last_ line of defense around the flag. I'm not sure what you two can do, but it's imperative you don't let _ANYONE_ get past you. Be prepared for _ANYTHING_. Red team has Ares, Aphrodite, Dionysus, _and_ Demeter: and that's not even _counting_ Christine. She's _TOUGH_ and near unstoppable when she fights with a weapon…"

"Don't need to tell US that." Jacen said with a groan. I laughed. Abby just sighed.

"Just be prepared. We can do this if everyone works as a team. Thing about Ares kids leading is that Kevin _needs_ Paul to help strategize. They always lose because they try to win _EVERYTHING_ with brawn and _NO_ smarts. That's why it's dangerous to have Paul with them. With his tactics and Ares' might, they're a dangerous combination."

I cracked my neck and looked at her seriously. Maybe it was the intensity of my gaze, or the way I said it, but Abby seemed to stagger back a bit in awe.

"Like I said: I've gone through _too_ much crap today to let a guy like Kevin run us down using an unfair advantage. We're half bloods right? Monsters don't care about unfair advantages against us, so why should we?"

Everyone seemed to look at me in shock and a little bit of newfound awe. The atmosphere of awesome I created was rudely interrupted when I heard clapping from behind me. Everyone focused on Jacen, who was the source of the clapping.

"Well said: General Eddy," he said with a grin. "Now, let's get to the part where we actually _do_ something!"

Everyone laughed as we headed towards Chiron, who was waiting for both teams to assemble. The red team was done a little before us, so when we joined the group Chiron addressed us.

"Alright, since Eddy and Jacen are new I'd like to review the rules…" Chiron began, but was interrupted by a snort from Kevin. Chiron's eyes narrowed a bit.

"_AND_, perhaps for some of our more…_rebellious_ participants…" Chiron added, shutting Kevin up instantly. I heard Jacen snigger from beside me and couldn't help but smile. Chiron continued:

"First, the entire forest is _FAIR_ game. Secondly, _ALL_ magic items _ARE_ allowed. Third: The flags of _BOTH_ teams must be displayed where they can be seen, and can have no more than _TWO_ guards. Four: Killing OR maiming is NOT ALLOWED!" And cue groaning from some of the Ares kids. "And finally: guards cannot stand within ten yards of the flag! Are we clear?"

There was a unanimous nod throughout the group. I locked eyes with Christine who smirked cockily at me. I clutched my necklace in my hand and looked down at it. 'Help me out here Ananke, I'm counting on you' I said in my mind. I looked back at Christine to see her smirk was gone and replaced by a little uncertainty. Jacen was staring Kevin down with a glare, but Kevin didn't even seem to notice. He was glaring at Paul, who looked completely at ease. I guess they argued or something over strategy and Paul won. Chiron nodded and said:

"You have twenty minutes to find a location for your flags and to set up. I will blow my conch horn when you are to begin. Watch out for monsters and may the Gods be with you!"

Everyone rushed with their teams into the depths of the forest. I ran with Jacen and Abby, who was whispering out directions and locations for people to follow and go to. When we got to a creek, we crossed it and Abby halted us, looking around at the surroundings.

"Okay," she began, "There's a minimum of forest cover, that's good. And they'll have to cross the creek to get to our side: we'll be able to hear them coming. There's moonlight, so visibility is better here…"

I watched Abby in awe. This girl was _amazing_ at strategy! But, I _had_ to wonder…if she was _this_ good, then how much better _was_ Paul? I was snapped back to reality when Abby called my name.

"EDDY!" she hissed. I snapped to attention.

"Yes ma'am?" I answered stupidly. Abby smirked.

"I was saying that you and Jacen would stand on either side of the creek and try to delay _anyone_ who comes your way. I'll have Shawn and Jake as sentinels further up AND down the creek, and they'll warn you if anyone is heading your way with a secret signal. The signal will be: Aegis."

"Aegis?" I asked. "Like, Athena's shield?"

Abby nodded.

"The one and only. So, you got all that?"

Jacen and I nodded and Abby told Shawn and Jake what they were doing and then headed farther off into the woods.

About fifteen minutes passed in silence before we heard the unmistakable sound of a conch horn being blown.

The game: had begun!

* * *

><p>After the conch horn blew, I could hear the sounds of clashing weapons, war cries, and combat from all around me. I unleashed Ananke from its necklace form and gripped it tightly. I glanced over at Jacen to see that he had flames flickering to life around his hands. He glanced at me and smirked. I smirked back, and then returned to watching for any sign of the red team.<p>

About forty minutes passed, with no sign of the red team, except when an Aphrodite girl who was trying to get the drop on us from upstream was taken out by Shawn. The girl didn't seem upset that she was caught; more so that Shawn _had_ to tackle her into the water, and _ruin_ her perm.

I was starting to feel my nerves fraying. I blame my ADHD. This had to be the longest I've ever stayed in the same spot. I could tell Jacen was getting antsy as well; he kept glancing here and there and shooting small blasts of fire in random directions when he heard a noise.

Another ten minutes passed with no change until I heard a distinct shout of:

"_AEGIS_!"

Jacen and I whirled in the direction of Jake's voice downstream to see him running after a hulking figure. Jake was clutching his arm tightly; he must've gotten injured. I ran to intercept the incoming enemy, when a red blur flew past me.

Jacen!

Jacen charged through the water at the enemy, who was revealed to be a growling Kevin Volpe, who had sticks and twigs lodged in his battle helmet and scuffs all over his armor. 'The Hermes and Athena cabins must've done an awesome job!' I thought in glee. As Jacen engaged Kevin, I watched as Kevin lunged at Jacen with a gigantic Celestial Bronze battle-axe. Jacen tucked and rolled through the water, and came up steaming: both emotionally and _literally_. Kevin staggered back from him.

"What's wrong noob?" Kevin sneered. "This battle getting too heated for you?"

I laughed. Of _ALL_ the things Kevin had to say, he chose to go with _that_ taunt. Jacen's back was to me, but I could hear him roar with laughter.

"Buddy," I heard Jacen say, "you have no idea!"

Jacen's hands ignited in flame and he began swiping and punching at Kevin's armor. From the slight breeze, I could smell the bronze of Kevin's armor starting to give way to the heat of Jacen's attacks.

Kevin seemed completely baffled at Jacen's ability. As they broke a part and stared each other down.

"Are you a _CHOSEN_ son of Hephaestus?" he asked in shock.

Jacen just shook his head.

"I don't know _who_ my dad is," Jacen stated. "Hopefully, he's watching me though, I've always wanted to win a fight!"

Kevin growled.

"Don't get _cocky,_ punk!" he snarled thrusting forward with surprising speed. He hit Jacen with the blunt end of his axe and sent him careening through the water.

"Jacen!" I yelled.

I was going to run over to see if he was alright when I caught something moving quickly and silently to my left, out of the corner of my eye. It moved towards the flag and snagged it. I took one glance at Jacen, who was _ALREADY_ on his feet again and peppering Kevin with fire blasts again, and took off at top speed after the thief.

They led me in a wild high-speed chase through sharp turns, fallen trees, and underbrush. While we ran I noticed tree nymphs (Dryads) poking their heads out of various shrubs, trees, and bushes to see what all the commotion was about. I almost ran one down when she walked right in front of me, but I vaulted right over her head and kept on running. The nymphs that saw that feat watched me pass by with looks of awe and bewilderment. To be honest, the nymph was only about three feet tall, but still: I must've had some MAJOR adrenalin pumping through my veins if I managed a jump like that. The thief led me through another string of traps, which I hacked through with Ananke, and some more twists and turns until we came out of the deep woods and into a clearing with a large hill overlooking the forest surrounding it.

At the top of the hill waved a red flag, with two guards watching. Paul and Alex Noble from Dionysus. They stiffened when they saw us run into the clearing and Alex ran down the hill to intercept me, when a fireball flew past me from my left side and ignited the spot that Alex's foot would've been if he didn't jump back.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Jacen leading the rest of the blue team with Abby (who was staring at Jacen in awe). Jacen screamed at me to get our flag back, so I threw Ananke, and like some kind of miracle, it landed right in front of the thief, stopping them in their tracks. Jacen caught up to me and released a flurry of flames at the base of the hill to cut the thief off from reaching their goal. With a noticeable sigh the thief turned around and I was shocked to see…

Christine!

She smirked at me and tossed our flag down at the ground. Tree nymphs and a few satyrs ran out into the clearing to smother the fires, and I could hear Jacen apologizing profusely to an angry dryad who demanded to know whom he thought he was, burning up an innocent forest.

Chiron and the rest of the red team, some who were supporting a slightly burned and out of breath Kevin Volpe arrived in the clearing seconds later. Christine turned to Paul and said:

"Give me the flag Paul."

Paul's eyes widened.

"Are you sure you want to do THAT, Christine?" he said in shock. Christine nodded furiously and took the red-bannered flag for her team and threw it on the ground. She glared up at me with a fire in her jade eyes.

"I CHALLENGE YOU, OEDIPUS BROWN, TO A DUEL!" she bellowed.

I looked at her. And then, at Jacen, who I now noticed, was sporting a busted lip and a few more bruises than earlier in the day. Jacen just turned to Chiron and asked:

"Umm. Chiron? Can she _do_ that?"

Chiron scratched his scraggly beard in thought and said:

"It is an ancient tradition," he remarked, "but she _does_ have the right to challenge another hero to a duel for the honor or price of something. Do you except, Eddy?"

I glanced around at everyone. My team was looking at me worriedly, like they knew it was a sure-fire way to lose if I fought against the best weapon user at camp, while the red team (_ESPECIALLY_ Kevin) looked delighted. I looked at Chiron who was completely neutral, and then, at Paul, who was looking at Christine and me with great interest. I took a deep breath and stared right back at Christine.

With the wind blowing, she looked fierce as ever. She had a celestial bronze sword in her hand and a shield from one of her teammates in the other. Her jade eyes reflected the moonlight, making them seem to glow slightly. Her expression was serious, _more_ serious than I had seen it all day, since I had met her. She wanted to challenge me? Fine.

"I accept." I said, not breaking eye contact with Christine. Chiron trotted between us. He glanced down at Ananke and his eyes widened. He shot me a glance, as if to ask for permission to pick up the blade and I nodded. He grasped Ananke, and let it go with a slight yelp of pain.

"Chiron!" I shouted as I ran over to him. "Are you alright?"

He smiled weakly while he rubbed at blisters from Ananke with this uninjured hand.

"Yes, my boy," he said. "Although, your weapon doesn't seem to think to much of me…"

Everyone shot confused glances at each other when Chiron said that, but I didn't really pay too much attention to them. Christine was looking at Chiron in awe for some reason. Why? I had NO clue.

I grabbed Ananke and picked it up. It hummed with power and took on its golden gleam as soon as it touched my hand. Chiron's eyes widened again as he saw me wielding the blade, but he schooled his expression back to a neutral one and declared:

"Christine, as the issuer of the duel, you get to name your terms. What do you want in return for victory?"

Christine went back to staring me down and said:

"I want that weapon Eddy."

I blinked at her. I felt Ananke give off a surge of energy that felt like outrage. I gripped the hilt harder and Ananke seemed to calm itself. Chiron's eyebrows rose.

"Christine," he said pleadingly. "Surely, you could ask for another…?"

"No." she demanded. "That sickle, Ananke," Chiron's eyes widened at the name. "Is forged from Titanic silver! There's no other weapon made from the same material! I _need_ to have it to master and study!"

All around the clearing the campers murmured to each other in shock and disbelief. Chiron stamped his hooves to restore order. Everyone quieted down.  
>"And, if you lose?" Chiron said. Christine picked up her team's flag and stabbed it into the ground.<p>

"If I lose, I concede victory to your team and will fight on whatever team Eddy is placed on from this day forth!"

Kevin Volpe yelled in protest.

"Chiron, no! That's not fair you…!"

Chiron narrowed his eyes at Kevin, who hesitated.

"Kevin, you should know that your opinion has NO place in a duel that does NOT concern you," Chiron stated. "If that is Christine's wager than it shall be so. Eddy!"

I broke eye contact with Christine to look at him.

"What are _YOUR_ terms?" he asked.

I thought about it and then said:

"I agree to Christine's terms firstly," I began. Christine's swagger seemed to increase at that, and so did my irritation. "_BUT_!"

"If I WIN, I want two things: One: you can _NEVER_ challenge me for Ananke _AGAIN_."

Christine hesitated as she looked at Ananke gleaming in the moonlight in my grip, but then nodded firmly.

"And, Two," I said fixing her with a glare, "I get to punch _YOU_ in the arm! That FREAKIN' HURT! GIRL OR NOT: WHO DOES THAT TO A GUY WHO JUST FELL INTO A LAKE AT 60-MILES PER HOUR? BROKE HIS ARM, (THE ONE YOU PUNCHED, BY THE WAY) WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? ALL BECAUSE OF A KISS, WHICH YOU STARTED!"

I took a few heavy breaths after my rant and noticed no one was saying a word. Christine's face had gone completely red, Chiron was looking at me with WIDE eyes, and the rest of the campers were dumbstruck by my terms I guessed. I heard some Aphrodite girls squealing and some chuckles from other male campers. Paul had a disbelieving smirk on his face and shook his head, and Jacen…

…Was on the ground, laughing his butt off. 'Thanks for the moral support man, I thought'. 'I _really_ appreciate it'.

Chiron seemed to come to his senses and quickly continued looking like the immortal centaur trainer of heroes that he was.

"THEN IT IS DECIDED!" He bellowed. I think he did it to save face, but what do I know? "The terms have been set, the stakes cast in: Do you both swear to agree by these terms?"

Christine and I nodded.

"THEN!" yelled Chiron raising an arm. He brought it flying down.

"BEGIN!"

* * *

><p>Fighting Christine in weapon combat is something I'll <em>never<em> willingly do again. First off, the girl is _FAST_. She swung her sword right at my head before I even had time to react, I dodged by the skin of my teeth, but she managed to cut a few wisps of hair off my head. I rolled and swung Ananke around her legs to catch her off guard: but she just jumped over the swing, and kicked me in the chest, sending me tumbling backwards.

Secondly, the girl fights _DIRTY_. I rolled to my feet and massaged my chest. For some one so small, the girl has some _real_ power behind her hits. She charged while I dazed went for a crotch kick.

Oh no, she didn't!

Oh yeah she did. I blocked the attack with my left arm, but yelped in pain when I realized that it was the one I had just broken earlier and that it wasn't completely healed yet. Figures, I'm already at a disadvantage, let's give Eddy _ANOTHER_ one!

I rolled to my feet and brought Ananke slashing down at her. She tried to dodge with her shield, and neither one of us was prepared for what happened next: Ananke started to cut _STRAIGHT THROUGH_ the shield! I yanked my blade back. I wanted to win, but not at the cost of maiming Christine. Besides, I'd NEVER _EVER_ hear the end of it if I lobbed off one of her limbs.

Christine tossed aside her shield and charged. We went through a flurry of strikes, parries, and close calls that were either dodged or deflected. By this time, I could feel the sweat running down my face and body. I was getting exhausted.

After everything I'd gone through today, I was amazed that my day started by getting on the school bus as usual and leading up through a series of crazy events to a duel against a _seriously_ moody girl!

I wiped the sweat from my brow, to keep it from running into my eyes, and grinned at Christine, who, to my surprise: gave a genuine grin back.

"You better be ready to hand that blade over Eddy!" she hollered. Her breathing was ragged and taxed, just like mine. We were both on our last winds. I laughed.

"And _you_ better get ready for some pay back for my arm Christine!" I bellowed. We both chuckled and then got serious again. And, with a cry of defiance from both of us we charged.

I ducked. I swung Ananke. Dodged. Parried. Jumped. Swung with an upward slash. Guarded my crotch _again_. Parried. Deflected a glancing blow to the calf, and…

Accidently let go of Ananke. _LOOK_! Let me explain. My hands were so sweaty; it just kind of _slid_ right _out_ from my grip. Ananke sailed to the right a few feet and embedded into the ground. Christine watched as my weapon sailed through the air and landed, and then raised an eyebrow at me.

"Is that a surrender, then?" she asked. Everyone stared at me. I forgot there were people _watching_! The _whole_ camp in fact! I glared at her.

"Until I can't fight back," I growled, "I'm _NOT_ giving up!"

I sprinted towards Ananke, but Christine (like I said: was a bit faster than me). I dove with my hand outstretched and reached for the hilt of my sickle blade, while Christine dove to intercept me. She was closer than I was to our goal. Then, I had a chilling thought.

I was going to _lose_.

I would lose _Ananke_.

I'd _NEVER_ get my revenge on Christine, for punching my arm.

_OKAY_, I'm not sure which of those thoughts, or maybe it might've been all three, caused the next thing to happen:

I reached out for Ananke, and found myself grabbing the handle. I rolled up in celebration and faced Christine, and froze.

Or, it's more accurate to say _she_ froze. In fact, _EVERYTHING_ froze: except me. The craziest thing was no sooner had it happened, that it was OVER.

I watched as Christine dove for the space that I _should've_ been in no less than a few seconds ago. She looked confused and then down right _bewildered_ when she saw me standing beside her with Ananke's blade at her face.

"H-How?" she stammered.

I shrugged.

"I have _no_ idea. But I do know, that: _I WIN_."

It was as if the sound was muted, and then turned back on. Cheers and cries went up from around the clearing, especially from the blue team who ran over to congratulate me. They even congratulated a frazzled looking Christine on an amazing fight. Jacen clapped me on the shoulder and grinned at me. His face went slack for a moment, and I wondered what was wrong with him. I turned to look in the direction he was looking at and saw a barrage of flames heading right for us from the depths of the forest.

I dove out of the way warning campers as the flames entered the clearing, but Jacen (for some _STUPID_ reason) decided to stay rooted to the spot, his face still in shock. He didn't look scared, just in awe.

The flames reached Jacen, but instead of engulfing him, they surrounded his feet, strangely not catching _anything_ on fire. I watched as a small trail of flames made it's way up Jacen's body and flashed in a blinding light above his head. I covered my eyes from the intensity. When I opened them again, I gasped.

Above Jacen's head, a symbol, wreathed in flames, was burning brightly in golden flames. A sun.

The campers all gasped and Chiron bent down as if bowing. All the others followed suit, and I did as well.

"HAIL, JACEN DARKLIGHTER," bellowed Chiron, his voice somewhat shaky. "SON OF THE 'WATCHER FROM ABOVE', 'THE LORD OF THE EAST', AND THE TITAN OF LIGHT, POWER, AND FIRE: _HYPERION_!"

Silence. And then, another group of startled gasps broke out. I turned to see Christine trying to swat away a silvery light that was flying around her head and growing larger. It finally solidified into a shape, a symbol like Jacen's just did: A silver spear.

Chiron remained bowing, but turned his body to face Christine. The campers, who looked like this was _completely_ unprecedented, followed his example. I noticed Jacen, who was no longer wreathed in his father's flames, knelt down next to me, white as a ghost: but smiling slightly with tear marks on his face. I decided _NOT_ to make a big deal out of that.

"Congrats man." I whispered. He nodded gratefully and we both turned to hear Chiron announce.

"HAIL, CHRISTINE GREGORY! DAUGHTER OF 'THE PIERCER', 'THE LORD OF THE WEST', AND THE TITAN OF WEAPONRY, MORTALITY, AND WARRIORS: _IAPETUS_!"

More silence. I think all of this claiming business short-circuited all the camper's brains. I glanced at Paul who had a bittersweet smile on his face as he watched Christine, who was openly crying. Marcy from Apollo and Kaley from Demeter ran over to embrace her. All the campers got to their feet and looked around uneasily at Christine and Jacen, as if seeing them in a new light. Kevin Volpe, however, dealt with the tension by stating:

"SO?" he bellowed. "WHO _WON_ CAPTURE THE FLAG?"

Everyone's gazes turned to me. I looked at the still teary-eyed Christine who gave me a smile and a nod, and I proceeded to walk over to where both the red and blue team's flags were. I grabbed my team's first and held it up in victory. The blue team _EXPLODED_ into cheers, while the red team (once again, with Kevin Volpe NOT joining) applauded and cheered for a good match and Christine and my duel.

I touched Ananke's blade and reverted it into a necklace once more, happy to know that Christine wouldn't be able to challenge me for it _ever_ again. If it _hadn't _been for that weird time freezing thing, I _would've_ been handing Ananke to Christine right now. But instead, I approached the red team's flag that Christine had stabbed in the ground and lifted it high into the air. Everyone cheered louder this time, until Abby Harper cried:

"Wait! That's _NOT_ the symbol of Athena!"

Normally, whichever cabin the team's captain is from is what the captured enemy flag turns into. Which, in this case, _should've_ been a gray flag with an owl symbol. _But_, this was not the case.

We all glanced up to see that the flag had turned royal violet, with a _very_ familiar symbol to me, emblazoned in the middle in the same shade of gold as my eyes.

Chiron bowed down one _FINAL_ time, the campers all following his example before me, which was _weird_ feeling. I felt like some kind of king or something.

"HAIL," Chiron said, with a hint of PRIDE in his voice, which I found strange. "OEDIPUS BROWN, SON OF 'HE WHO CONTROLS TIME AND SPACE', 'THE FATHER OF THE OLYMPIANS', 'AND THE KING AND RULER OF THE TITANS… _KRONOS_."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Notes: That last chapter MIGHT just be the longest one I've written so far! Anyway, this chapter will explain a bit of the fallout from all of the revelations last time. Also, expect to see a familiar god reappear in this chapter. For those of you that are about it, there's some Eddy x Christine fluff near the end of this chapter! As always, leave me a review or PM me if you have questions/concerns/complaints. **

**Chapter 8: Our Dads Give Us A Chore And One More**

I nearly fainted again. I _KNOW_. It would've been the billionth time since the Chimera that I felt that way, but look at it from _my_ perspective:

My long-lost dad: _WAS THE TITAN KING! KRONOS!_

I looked around at everyone who was slowly getting to his or her feet and staring at me with wide eyes. Then, a voice called out from the crowd:

"But I thought the Titans were _dethroned_!"

All at once, murmuring and frenzied whispers broke out. People argued with one another and pretty much looked to Jacen, Christine and me for answer; but we didn't have any.

Chiron seemed to have had enough, because he blew his conch horn and called for silence.

"_ENOUGH_!" He roared. "Now is _NOT_ the time to debate this matter. Paul Everhart?"

Paul stepped forward from the crowd and addressed Chiron.

"Yes sir?" he said respectfully. Chiron turned to face him.

"Would you please lead all the campers, with the exception of: Eddy Brown, Jacen Darklighter, and Christine Gregory, back to camp and prepare for the campfire? As senior camper, I am putting you in charge!" Chiron turned to address the campers again.

"Paul Everhart's orders are _MY_ orders for the moment! Understood?"

There was a unanimous 'Yes!' from the gathered campers and they all massed toward Paul who led them out of the forest. He gave Chiron a meaningful look that Chiron shook his head at. Paul nodded, and made his way after the group, and disappeared. Chiron took a deep breath, sighed and then trotted over to me. Jacen and Christine walked over to join us.

"This is…unprecedented." Chiron said grimly. "To have _THREE_ claiming's in one day is _NOT_ abnormal, _BUT_, to have _THREE_ from the most powerful _TITANS_ is…" He regarded us with a solemn look.

"Has NEVER happened in all my years."

I DIDN'T like the way Chiron talked about us being claimed. He made it sound like it was some kind of BAD omen, like it would've been better if we weren't claimed at all. I clenched my fists.

"What's so bad about our fathers FINALLY claiming us as their kids?" I bellowed. I didn't mean for it to come out so spitefully, but I _WAS_ mad. "They're doing what they SHOULD do: actually BE parents!"

Chiron's eyebrows raised and he gave me a pitying look.

"My boy," he said slowly, "I'm not saying it's a _BAD_ thing that your father has claimed you or Jacen and Christine. It is the matter of why now? For example, Iapetus could've claimed Christine when she arrived just two years ago yet: he did not. But for him to claim her after Jacen and your arrival, and your _OWN_ claiming's: it bodes…"

Chiron stopped abruptly and looked to his left. I followed his gaze and saw a wood nymph glaring at us. She stormed straight over to me and pointed a finger into my chest.

"YOU!" She bellowed. She was at least a full head shorter than me. Her anger reminded me of Christine, so I took her seriously. "WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? JUMPING OVER MY HEAD LIKE THAT EARLIER? YOU COULD'VE KNOCKED MY HEAD OFF!"

Jacen began to snicker, while Christine looked at me in confusion. Chiron just looked neutral, although, I could see his mouth twitching: like he was trying NOT to smile. The dryad _obviously_ didn't like being ignored. She hit me in the stomach, although it only felt like a swat, and continued to wait for an explanation. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair and stared down at her. When we locked gazes I saw her blush green, like chloroform was running through her veins: which was probably true.

"Look, I'm really sorry about that," I apologized. "I was in the heat of the moment and I needed to catch her," I pointed at Christine who glared at me for dragging her into the conversation, "and you…well, you were kind of in the way so…"

The dryad's cheeks puffed up in indignation.

"Oh?" she seethed. "_IN THE WAY, WAS I_?"

It was at this point that Chiron trotted in between us and smiled kindly down at the nymph, who looked about ready to hit me. I didn't _NEED_ any more hits from girls today, thank you very much.

"My dear dryad," Chiron said consolingly. "You know how Capture the Flag for the campers goes. They take themselves _very_ seriously. I'm sure my half-brother meant you no ill-will…"

I froze. _HALF-BROTHER_?

"Chiron!" I gasped, pointing a finger at him in disbelief. "You're a son of Kronos?"

At the name, 'Kronos' the dryad seemed to pale considerably. She turned to me and bowed deeply.

"F-forgive my rudeness, my lord!" she said pleadingly. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"My lord?" I repeated looking at her. She blushed green again and stammered on:

"Lord Kronos is the protector of the harvest and nature nymphs!" she squeaked. "I knew there was something _FAMILIAR_ about you, but I had no clue that you were the _SON_ of our Lord! And to think: Master Chiron appears to have recognized you as kin as well!"

I told the dryad that it was fine, and she ran off quickly, disappearing into the woods. I turned back to Chiron.

"So…" I began awkwardly. "I guess we're family then?"

Chiron smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Yes, my boy," he said. "You're my little half brother. In fact, you're a half brother to _ALL_ of the eldest Olympian gods, and technically an uncle to ALL of the half bloods at camp."

The thought made my head spin. Chiron's face grew serious, and he turned to address Christine and Jacen who were listening to our conversation with interest.

"We should discuss the matter of your claiming's back at the Big House," he advised. "The forest is still filled with monsters, and now that it is nightfall they shall become restless."

That was enough incentive for _ALL_ of us. We began to follow after Chiron as he led the way towards camp.

* * *

><p>As we walked, I asked a question that had been on my mind since my talk with Christine in the armory earlier today.<p>

"Chiron," I began. "Why _IS_ it that the story of how the Olympians came into power so distorted? I mean; Lady Demeter made it clear that the Titans _OFFERED_ up their thrones to their children, _NOT_ had them taken away."

Chiron seemed to ponder how to answer, and then said:

"Let me ask you a question Eddy," Chiron, stated. "If you were said to have bested someone more powerful than you, and it brought you more honor and prestige, would you reveal the truth? Or would you simply let others believe what seems more reasonable and advantageous to you?"

I thought about it. If people had assumed it was only me that took down the Chimera, and not with the aid of Jacen; would I LET them think it was? Or would I set the story straight? I wanted to say that I would tell the truth: but, was that REALLY what I would do? A part of me wanted to take the credit.

"I don't know…" I answered. Chiron nodded his head in understanding.

"I do not believe it was the Olympian's intention to have the truth become _so_ convoluted, Eddy," Chiron continued, "but, the matter has not been brought up by the Titans, so I believe that Lord Zeus did not think of it as something to rectify over the millennia."

I nodded. I didn't LIKE it, but it wasn't like I could convince everyone to change what he or she believed, if they didn't _want_ to. I glanced back at Jacen and Christine, who had been quiet since the duel. I wondered what was on their minds. I was sure they must have been thinking about getting claimed, as much as I was. It seemed so _surreal_, finding out that we were the children of Titans, in fact: the _first_ half bloods _ever_ born to the predecessors of the Olympian gods.

We reached the porch of the Big House and followed Chiron into a comfortable looking living room. All along the walls were pictures of several people, half bloods that must've been at camp long before we were. There was a ton of famous people I was surprised to see: George Washington, who was actually a son of Athena. Frederick Douglas, a son of Hermes. I also saw some musicians: believe it or not, Jimi Hendrix was _ACTUALLY_ a son of Apollo!

Chiron walked over to his magical wheelchair and squeezed back into it, so he looked like a disabled middle-aged man again. It was strange to see him in that form. I had _just_ gotten used to seeing him in centaur form. Jacen, Christine, and I squeezed onto a plush, red couch situated across from a smoldering fireplace. Chiron turned to Jacen with a questioning look at it.

"What?" Jacen asked. He followed Chiron's gaze and understood what he was asking. He conjured a very small flame and sent it with perfect aim into the fireplace, which ignited into a crackling fire. Honestly, I _still_ couldn't get over how _cool_ Jacen's flame powers were.

I noticed that Jacen didn't seem as afraid of fire as I thought he was, almost as if he had come to terms that it was a part of him that he had to accept. He was still a bit pale when he ignited his hand though, so I figured he wasn't _completely_ okay with it though.

Chiron looked at the flames for a moment before taking a deep breath and exhaling.

"I'm not sure what to make of this," he began. I assumed he was talking about the claiming after the game. "In all my years, I have never heard of a Titan half blood. The Titans usually are unconcerned with the matters of the mortal world, and tend to leave the affairs of dealing with it to their children, the Olympians. More accurately: Eddy's and my father, Kronos' children."

Christine looked into the now roaring flames and asked:

"I always _wanted_ to be claimed." She began sadly. "But, I get the feeling that it isn't a coincidence that I was tonight, like you said Chiron. I feel like there's more to it than that, or else…"

"You're completely right, dudette." Said a familiar voice from the doorway. We all wheeled around to see Apollo, in casual clothes leaning against the doorway. He was dressed in a buttoned-down shirt and slacks, with tennis shoes on. He looked like he had just come from a business meeting.

"Lord Apollo!" Chiron said, bowing his head in respect. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Jacen grinned broadly at the arrival of the Sun God.

"Lord Apollo!" he beamed. "Did you get my offering and message?"

Apollo smiled and stepped into the room, and plopped into an armchair that he seemed to conjure from thin air.

"Yeah, thanks a lot Jacen!" he said genially. "I appreciated it. Dad was _not_ happy about me helping you two get to camp. He chewed me out _BIG_ time. If it wasn't for my grandfathers speaking to him on my behalf, I would've been in _deep_ Styx right now…"

I perked up at the mention of his grandfathers.

"You mean to say that Jacen's and my dad _ACTUALLY_ talked to Lord Zeus?"

Apollo nodded.

"Yeah," he answered with a grin. "Lord Kronos and Lord Hyperion were _peeved_ when they found out that Zeus tried to blast us out of the air. My Dad isn't intimidated by much of _ANYONE_, but, when two of the most powerful Titans show up in his throne room and _demand_ an explanation, he gets a little nervous!"

There was a loud, irritated roar of thunder from outside. Apollo just shrugged.

"But," Apollo continued, looking more serious now. "I didn't come here to tell you guys that. I'm here because of what Christine said. Your claiming tonight was _NOT_ a coincidence. There's more happening than you could possibly know. In fact, it's been going on since you were born."

All three of us sat up uneasily. What did _that_ mean?

Apollo turned to look at Chiron.

"My grandfathers sent me here to ask for a quest for them, Chiron." Apollo said solemnly. "They said that it's _IMPORTANT_. Anything that could get their notice HAS to be."

Chiron seemed to pale as he took in that bit of information. He glanced uneasily at us and back to Apollo.

"I'm guessing that they need to consult your Oracle then, Lord Apollo?" he asked. Apollo nodded gravely and glanced at the ceiling.

"She's asleep right now, from what I can sense," he stated. "I could wake her, but I think it's best to wait until morning for them to see her…"

Chiron nodded in understanding, and then turned to us.

"After breakfast, I'd like for you three to meet me here at the Big House," Chiron said. We all nodded. Apollo looked out the window and then back to Chiron.

"_HE_ will need to be present as well, Chiron." He said cryptically. Chiron paled again and nodded.

"Could this have _anything_ to do with _THAT_ prophecy?" Chiron asked carefully. Apollo nodded grimly, and Chiron seemed to shiver slightly. At this point, I was _so_ confused. What were they _talking_ about? _What_ prophesy?

"Excuse me, Chiron. Lord Apollo," I interrupted. "I think I speak for all of us when I say: what are you _TALKING_ about?"

I glanced at Christine and Jacen who nodded their agreement to my question, and we all turned back to look at the two of them.

Apollo smiled slightly, which was _seriously_ off putting, and replied:

"I can't tell you dude," he sighed. "It's another one of _those_ laws, I told you about. I made an oath on the River Styx not to talk about it, to anyone who wasn't _ALREADY_ in the loop."

Christine gasped. I looked at her to see that she looked _extremely_ unnerved. I'd never seen her like _THAT_ before.

"Do you know what he's talking about?" I asked carefully. Christine nodded and said:

"An oath on the River Styx," she began slowly, "Is a _serious_ promise. Even the _GODS AND TITANS_ can't break them. I'm not sure _what_ happens when you do, but they say it's worse than _DEATH_!"

Jacen chuckled nervously.

"What can be _worse_ than death?" he said. Apollo stared Jacen down so hard; Jacen leaned back into the couch uneasily.

"Pray that you _NEVER_ find out dude," he said darkly. "There's _NOTHING_ worse than breaking an oath on the Styx. _NOTHING_."

And on _that_ happy note, it was quiet in the living room; except for the soft crackling of the fire.

Chiron looked down at his lap for a moment, and then asked:

"What of the Olympians, then?" he stated. "Surely, they are _aware_ that the Titans have claimed these young heroes. I know your Father knows of the prophecy, what does he think?"

Apollo sighed and rubbed his face with his hand.

"Dad is a bit uneasy about the whole thing," Apollo said slowly. "I'm sure you know Chiron, there's _NEVER_ been a half blood child, let alone _multiple_ half blood children, of the Titans before. Dad thinks of them as a threat. He doesn't know the _whole_ prophecy, and he's incensed at everyone who _does_ know that they can't tell him because of the Stygian oath. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to complicate things for their quest…"

Jacen groaned.

"Can he _not_?" he complained. "He nearly _killed_ us today getting here, I'd _hate_ to find out what _else_ he'll do to us!"

I couldn't help but agree. Having the King of the Gods plotting against your success was _DEFINITELY NOT_ something I was looking forward to. Christine, who had been quiet, suddenly said:

"But, we don't even _know_ what the Oracle will say!" she stated. "What if it's something minor or…?"

"It _won't_ be dudette." Apollo interrupted grimly. "If quests were _easy_ they wouldn't _be_ quests!"

Fair point, I thought. But I couldn't help but get nervous thinking about _what_ our quest could possibly be. I also just remembered something Apollo had said earlier.

"Lord Apollo," I said. "You said there was _another_ person who would need to be in on this. Who?"

Apollo and Chiron stirred uneasily.

"Once again," Apollo said grimly. "I _CAN'T_ say, Eddy."

Well, _that_ made me feel a _whole_ lot better about this whole situation. I nodded hesitantly and sighed. Apollo got up from his armchair, which vanished as he did so, and stretched.

"Well, I came to say what I needed to say!" he said cheerfully. _SERIOUSLY_: this guy was _IMPOSSIBLE_ to make heads or tails of sometimes. "My dad can't get mad at me this time for talking to you dudes, seeing that I'm doing my job as the God of Oracles!"

Jacen groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Great! But, he can _still_ try to smite us at the first opportunity!"

There was another rumble of thunder and Jacen paled.

"Never mind." He said quickly.

Apollo grinned and turned to Chiron.

"I'll try and talk to my family and see if anyone can help out, without breaking my oath. Athena is a sucker for heroes, so maybe she'll help. And I already know Auntie Demeter _loves_ Eddy, so she'll _DEFINITELY_ try and do _SOMETHING_." Apollo said. "The one's to watch out for are my Uncles and Aunts. I'm pretty sure Uncle Poseidon will rally with my dad, and as for the others: I can't really say."

Christine looked at Apollo and asked:

"What about the Titans?" she asked. "Can we expect any help from them?"

Apollo's grin faded a bit, and he looked down at the ground.

"If I know my dad," he began somberly, "He'll make _sure_ they can't help. Since Lord Kronos won't tell my dad what's happening, or what he needs you guys to go on this quest for my dad is getting paranoid. He thinks that the Titans might be plotting against him."

I bolted to my feet in outrage.

"That's _ridiculous_!" I shouted. Everyone turned to look at me. I blushed, and said in a softer tone. "I mean, I know I just found out about my dad today and all, but: I just _know_ that's not what this is about at _all_. I can just…I can just _FEEL_ it."

Apollo grinned consolingly at me.

"Your instincts serve you well, Eddy." He said genially. "Trust in your family is _important_. But, if I recall correctly, I believe Chiron said: We Gods work in mysterious ways."

I wanted to say: maybe Gods do, but not Titans! Apollo seemed to read my mind, _once_ again.

"_Even_ Titans have agendas Eddy." Apollo added. "I'm not saying you're wrong, but just stay alert dude. You never know when something bigger than what you think is happening. Fate's weird like that."

And with that, Apollo vanished in a powerful flash of light, leaving the four of us alone in the Big House living room. Chiron stared at the spot where Apollo vanished for a moment and then turned to us.

"Let's worry about what to do next in the morning, when you three see the Oracle," he said, trying to sound more upbeat, and failing. "For now, let's go down to the campfire and join the rest of the camp. As for your lodgings, I hope you don't mind sleeping in the Hermes cabin. I'll commission a cabin built for each of you…"

"No." Jacen interrupted. We all turned to look at him and he blushed as red as his hair. "It's just. I've been alone all my life, and I just found out that Eddy and Christine, even though she's a pain," Christine glared at him ruefully. "Are like, my cousins? I've…I've always wanted a family that I can be apart of and not feel like an outcast. So, if you guys aren't too bothered by it…maybe, we could just have _ONE_ cabin for us. That's if, you guys _want_ to…"

We all stared at Jacen after he said it. Christine stopped glaring and Chiron regarded him carefully. I beamed at him.

"I'm IN!" I said. I looked at Christine, who looked a bit unsure, but then, after seeing my face, rolled her eyes and nodded. Jacen looked up at Chiron, who smiled and gave a nod of approval. Jacen wiped a few gathering tears from his eyes and grinned so wide, I thought his face was going to split.

"Thanks guys," he said shakily. "Really."

Christine, who seemed slightly uncomfortable with the atmosphere, got to her feet and tapped her foot impatiently. I noticed that she had tried (and _FAILED_) to wipe a few stray tears from her face, and said:

"ALRIGHT! Let's go to the campfire! I want some marshmallows!"

* * *

><p>When we arrived at the campfire it was already in full swing. The whole camp was seated in the amphitheater, arranged by cabin. There were a few Apollo kids and satyrs down by the fire with guitars, pipes, and drums (and lyres?) leading the group in song. As we took seats near the top row, I listened as they finished a song about a hero who left his home without his armor fastened correctly. We clapped and watched as Chiron made his way down to the center of the theatre, (he was back in centaur form) and stopped besides the fire.<p>

The campfire was magically enchanted to respond to the camper's emotional state as a group. Right now it was a bright purple. I guessed that meant everyone was happy. Almost everyone. I glanced at the Ares cabin, all of which seemed to be pouting. Sore losers, I thought.

Chiron stomped his hooves for silence, which fell at once. He explained to the camp about our claiming and that we would be issued a quest by the Oracle tomorrow morning. As he said it, I noticed the campfire dulled down to a melancholy blue. One camper however, was having none of it.

"WHY DO THE NOOBS GET A QUEST?" bellowed Kevin Volpe in outrage. There were murmurings of agreement throughout the Ares cabin and a few others. Chiron sighed and replied:

"Lord Apollo himself has said that it _must _be Eddy Brown, Jacen Darklighter, and Christine Gregory."

That shut the camp up. I assumed that _NO ONE_ would question a direct order from a god. I also found it odd that Chiron neglected to mention the fourth mysterious person who would be joining us.

Kevin scowled at us. Jacen just grinned at him and ignited his hand in flame, just for effect. It seemed to work, because Kevin paled slightly and turned around. Marcy from the Apollo cabin ran toward us like one of Zeus' lightning bolts.

"YOU MET DAD AGAIN?" she shouted. Jacen, Christine, and I all recoiled by how loud she was. I noticed she _wasn't_ alone. Almost the whole of Cabin 7 was behind her, looking hungry for information. I gulped. I _SO_ did _NOT_ need this right now. Thankfully: Paul, who sauntered up to us and regarded Marcy, saved us.

"Marcy," he began warmly. "Leave them alone. You know that going on a quest is stressful, we should let them relax while they still can, right?"

Marcy pouted, along with the rest of Apollo cabin.

"But!" she began to say, but Paul just narrowed his eyes in warning. That must've done the trick, because Marcy and the rest of Cabin 7 walked back to their section dejectedly and sat down again. Marcy kept shooting us pleading looks though. I tried my best not to look at her.

Paul grinned and sat down by us.

"So, children of Titans, huh?" he asked genially. "I'm happy for you guys!"

We thanked him, but inside: I felt terrible. We had found out about our immortal parent, but it seemed like Paul, who was here longer than _all_ of us, was still left in the dark. I frowned and scuffed my sneakers on the ground awkwardly.

"I prayed to my dad earlier," I admitted to him. Paul looked at me in interest. "At the brazier when I offered a portion of my meal. I prayed for him to reveal who our parents were; _you_ included man."

Paul's eyebrows rose. He smiled warmly.

"That was really nice of you, Eddy." He said honestly. "But, don't worry about me. I've gone four years without knowing: I can wait a bit longer before I start to really worry about it."

Christine frowned at him.

"Paul…" she began, but he just shook his head with a small smile.

"It's fine guys, _really_." He added. "I'm happy just knowing that I've got you guys as friends. Be careful on your quest, alright?"

We all nodded and sat in a comfortable silence as the Apollo kids and satyrs continued to play and watched as the campfire burned bright in the starry night sky.

* * *

><p>Paul led us back to the Hermes cabin after the campfire. He found some extra bedrolls in a supply closet and rolled them out on the floor. I looked around at the cabin itself as I settled in.<p>

The only word I could think of for the Hermes cabin was: _CROWDED_. There had to be at least 25 people all stuffed into the place, more than it should've been able to hold. Boys and girls of all different ages were cramped up together in close sleeping quarters, but they didn't seem to mind too much, I figured they must be used to it. As an only child, it was a little uncomfortable to have _SO_ many people around me while I slept. I'd only had Jacen over for a sleepover a few times, and I found it hard enough to sleep with him in the same room. The kid can _snore_. Speaking of, he was laying on his bedroll to my left. He seemed to be wide-awake. He was staring at the ceiling in deep thought. I wanted to ask him what he was thinking about, but I thought it would be better if I didn't press him. I had _ENOUGH_ to think about, I didn't want to bother Jacen.

I looked around for Christine, but couldn't see her anywhere. I knew she came in with us. Against my better judgment, I sidled out of my sleeping bag and made my way over to Paul who was a few feet to my left, lying in bed, reading a book. He looked up when I stopped by him.

"She's probably at the canoe lake Eddy." He said simply. I felt my face heat up.

"How'd you…?" I stammered. He gave me a coy smile.

"Just a guess, honestly," he shrugged. Well, as much as you can shrug lying down. "But, seriously Eddy," he said solemnly. "Go talk to her. I think she's really nervous. She could use some company…"

I looked at him quizzically.

"Why don't you come with me?" I asked.

Paul regarded me for a moment and then said:

"Just go talk to her Eddy," he said simply, as he picked his book back up. He smiled at me. "Besides, I'm on this great chapter about Anemoi, I've got to finish…"

"Alright, I get it." I sighed. I made my way carefully to the door, where I found the Hermes Cabin Head, Blake looking at me with a sly smile.

"Sneaking out, I see." He grinned. I rolled my eyes at him.

"It's not _REALLY_ sneaking out, if you're watching me do it, Blake."

Blake just shrugged.

"I won't tell anyone," he said. I found that stupid, seeing that _EVERYONE_ was still awake anyways. "Watch out for the harpies though, they'll eat you if they see you out past curfew."

I gulped and nodded. Camp Half Blood had harpies that cleaned, and acted like guards to make sure rules were followed. One of those rules was _no one_ was allowed to break curfew. Blake was kind of exaggerating about the harpies eating me, but I knew if they could do it without getting in _huge_ trouble, they'd definitely try.

I made my way out of the Hermes cabin and across the dark grass of the camp, careful to be on the look out for crazy bird-ladies. Finding none, I slowly made my way towards the canoe lake, the very same one that I had crash-landed into earlier in the day. In the moonlight, the water was almost completely lit up.

Down on the dock, I saw a figure sitting. As I approached, I realized it was Christine, and made my way toward her. I decided to make my presence known before I approached too close; last thing I needed was for her to judo-flip me into the lake.

"Hey." I said in greeting. Christine spun around in alarm; but when she realized who I was, she rolled her eyes and went back to facing the water. I gingerly sat down beside her and looked out at the water. I saw a piece of Apollo's sun chariot floating on the surface of the water and chuckled. Christine shot an annoyed glance at me, and I pointed it out. She snorted.

"Hard to believe I rescued you," she said sarcastically. "I _SHOULD'VE_ left you to drown. Would've saved me a lot of headaches."

I punched her lightly in the arm. She glared at me.

"What was that for, Eddy?" she growled. I smiled.

"That was the other condition of our duel if I won, remember?"

Her eyes widened and she scoffed.

"I punched you _MUCH_ harder than that, you know." She mumbled. I grimaced.

"Yeah," I groaned. "How could I _POSSIBLY_ forget?"

She smiled, and I found myself grinning too. We sat in silence for a while before Christine said:

"I'm nervous Eddy."

I looked at her and was surprised how anxious her expression was. I glanced down at the lake and saw a naiad wave at me and smiled slightly.

"Me too," I admitted. Christine looked at me in disbelief. "I mean: you've been here training for _two_ years. I _just _found out I that I was a half blood today, and haven't trained _AT ALL_. And now, I'm just handed a quest from a dad I didn't even _know_ until today…I'm just overwhelmed is all…"

Christine was silent for a moment until she hit me lightly in the arm.

"What was that for?" I asked in disbelief. I just poured my feelings out and this chick _PUNCHES ME AGAIN_?

"You're underestimating yourself," Christine said softly. "You're an idiot, I'll say _that_ much." Gee thanks, I thought. She really knows how to comfort someone! "But, you're a _great_ fighter. I've never met _anyone_ who could match me in a swordfight. You're the first. And, I don't know my father _either_ I prayed for two years for a sign and I just got one tonight. Also, you and Jacen make a _great_ team. You're always watching out for each other like brothers would. To be honest, I wish someone would do that for me…"

I looked at her in shock. I never knew Christine felt like that! Is this who she REALLY was underneath that tough girl exterior? I stared at a chariot wheel that was bobbing nearby for a moment before I responded:

"I'll watch your back too, you know." I said softly. Christine's eyes widened, and even in the moonlight, I could tell she was blushing. She pushed my shoulder roughly.

"STUPID!" she stammered. "Don't say weird stuff like _that_!"

I grinned.

"Well, I _AM_ an idiot, so what can I do?" I quipped. Christine grinned as well. I turned and looked her right in the eyes.

"We'll be fine," I reassured her. I don't know why, but it just _felt_ like I had to make sure she understood that. "Whatever we have to face, we won't do it alone. We'll _ALL_ watch out for each other, and come back to camp. Then, I can hold you to your promise to play on my team in capture the flag."

Christine grinned and nodded.

"Thanks Eddy." She whispered. She pecked me on the cheek, which made _all_ the blood rush to my face. I glanced at her to see a glare on her face, which was slightly ruined by the fact that she was blushing wildly too.

"You tell anyone…" she began to warn, but I stood up and stretched with a grin and replied:

"You'll kill me right?"

Christine smiled and nodded.

"Maybe you're _NOT_ such an _IDIOT_ after all!"

I held out my hand to help her up and she accepted, and together: we made our way back to the Hermes cabin, for some _MUCH_ needed sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Jacen, Christine, and I gathered in front of the Big House just like Chiron asked last night. Jacen <em>demanded<em> to know what Christine and I were doing down at the lake last night, and when he asked if we had done a reenactment of our 'kiss' we both turned as red as strawberries. With a few choice threats from Christine, and a promise to _never_ lend Jacen any of my albums _again_, he promptly dropped the subject, but I knew he would strike again if given the chance.

Chiron wheeled out onto the porch and regarded us with a grim expression. _SERIOUSLY, NOT HELPING DUDE_, I thought.

"I'm glad you made it, you three." He said. "The Oracle is on the third floor in the attic. You know the way, don't you Paul?"

We wheeled around to see Paul making his way toward us with a knapsack over his shoulder and an easy grin on his face. Christine's eyes widened.

"Paul!" she stammered. "YOU'RE THE FOURTH PERSON?"

Paul stopped a few inches from us and smiled.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys the truth earlier. _ESPECIALLY YOU_, Christine," Paul said with an apologetic smile. "But, I've known who my father is since before I came to Camp Half Blood. He was the one who helped guide me here."

Christine looked slightly hurt, while I was still in shock. Jacen asked the question that was bouncing around in _everyone's_ heads:

"Who _is_ your dad, then?" he asked. Paul smiled wider.

"Titan Lord of the North, Far sight, Intellect, and Knowledge: _Koios_."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: We Receive a Prophecy From A Corpse**

Well, I think I speak for _everyone_ when I say: We did _not_ see _that_ coming!

All of us, with the exception of Chiron stared at Paul in disbelief! He was the _fourth_ person? I couldn't wrap my head around it. Paul laughed at our expressions.

"Sorry guys!" he said sincerely. "I _know_ I should've said something last night, but Chiron made me swear that I wouldn't reveal my secret to you. I've been here for four years knowing that I'm the son of a Titan, and if word got out before we were issued this quest, I'd be in _deep_ Styx from the Olympians who didn't already know!"

We all nodded absentmindedly and continued to gape at him. Paul rolled his eyes.

"So, Chiron," he said casually, like he _didn't_ just flip our worlds upside down. "We're going up to the attic. We'll make sure to consult with you when we come back down. Can you arrange some transportation into the city for us?"

Chiron nodded and set off into the Big House to do what Paul requested. Paul, still smiling, walked over and closed Christine's open mouth gently.

"Let's get a move on guys!" he said. "The Oracle is…kind of temperamental if she has to wait!"

As we ascended the stairs to the second floor of the Big House, Jacen turned to Paul.

"I've gotta ask: Why do you keep the Oracle in a dusty old attic?"

Paul smiled wryly at him and replied:

"She likes it up there," he said. "And you'll see why in a second."

Jacen blinked and glanced back at me with his eyebrows raised. I just shrugged and we continued our way up the stairs.

* * *

><p>When we arrived in the Big House attic, through a trapdoor in one of the second-floor bedrooms, we had to shut our eyes from all the dust we kicked up as the door hit the wooden floor. Jacen and I hacked, while Paul and Christine had the good sense to cover their mouths with their T-shirts. Christine smirked at me in the dim light from the attic windows, and I glared at her.<p>

The place looked like a garage I had seen near my mom's apartment, stuffed to the brim with random knickknacks and junk. Everywhere I looked where piles upon piles of discarded weapons, monster remains, and other mythological trinkets. If I had a day to myself, I might've hung out up here with Jacen and sorted through all of the stuff.

Paul led us through a narrow strip of bare floor that zigzagged through the piles and I looked at random things as we passed them by. I noticed that ALL of the objects in the attic had little tags attached to them with scribbled handwriting on them. I stopped and examined one:

_The Horn of the Ethiopian Drakon_

_Retrieved: 12/15/92_

_Quest members:_

_D. Plum_

_D. Davis_

_A. Chilton_

I looked at the horn itself and was surprised by how _HUGE_ it was! It was hard for me to believe that _three_ half bloods managed to take down something that _had_ to be a really _big_ creature. They must've been _seriously_ powerful.

As we continued on through the dusty attic, I glanced at another knickknack that caught my attention. It was the horn of what I assumed was some sort of aquatic creature. The label on it read:

_Tooth of the Lernaean Hydra _

_Retrieved: 07/21/2010_

_Quest members:_

_M. Schaffer_

_P. Everhart_

_T. Douglas_

"Paul!" I shouted. Everyone stopped to look at me. Paul raised an eyebrow. I looked at him in awe.

"You _KILLED_ a Hydra! AND you've _BEEN_ on a quest?"

Christine and Jacen wheeled around to look at Paul. He smiled and shrugged.

"It's a LONG tale, but yes, I've already completed a quest." He said. "But, we really shouldn't keep the Oracle waiting: I'll tell you guys about it later."

We all followed after Paul again, although I _still_ was in shock that Paul had done that! At the same time, I was _extremely_ grateful that we would have him along on the quest with us. If he had done this before, then the guy would know what he's doing. The thought made me feel SO much better.

We all stopped in front of a window at the back of the attic where there was a lone lawn chair sitting. In the chair was an old looking mummy. I took a step back. Something told me that I shouldn't get to close to the thing. I noticed a hand grasp mine and I looked to my right to see Christine, white as a ghost, clutching my hand for dear life. Jacen ran up to inspect the mummy. _IDIOT_, I thought.

"SO COOL!" He cried in delight. Jacen was a _sucker_ for _ANYTHING_ horror movie related. "Is it REAL? LOOK AT IT!"

Paul laughed and grabbed Jacen's arm and hauled him away from the mummy.

"Hold on there Jacen," he said. "You shouldn't show such disrespect to the Oracle of Delphi."

I stared at Paul in disbelief.

"That…that MUMMY IS THE ORACLE?" I shouted. Paul winced and replied:

"Yes, Eddy, this mummy is the current host for the _SPIRIT_ of the Oracle of Delphi. The spirit is immortal you see, but it needs a host to work properly. The husk you see before you is all that remains of the previous Oracle."

Christine and I took _ANOTHER_ step back. That thing _USED_ to be a _REAL, LIVE PERSON_? Why in the world would someone keep it locked up in a dusty old attic?

Jacen's eyes twinkled in suppressed glee. I knew that _any_ second now he was about to explode. Paul seemed to grasp the situation because he tugged Jacen's shirt collar and pulled him back from approaching the mummy _again_. Paul cleared his throat and announced:

"O, great spirit of the Oracle of Delphi! I, Paul Everhart, Jacen Darklighter, Christine Gregory…"

"PAUL!" Christine interrupted in fright. "DON'T TELL IT MY NAME!"

Paul glared at Christine balefully, and she shrunk back, squeezing the life out of my hand as she did so.

"Christine Gregory," he continued, with a slight irritated edge to his voice, "And Oedipus Brown, humbly call upon you to recite for us a prophecy, so that we may quest for whatever it is you foresee us to seek!"

SILENCE.

Jacen poked his head over Paul's shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the mummy, who remain unmoving.

"Umm," he said awkwardly. "That was a _BEAUTIFUL_ speech Paul, but have you considered that the Oracle _might_ be broken?"

I saw a vein appear on Paul's temple as he rounded on Jacen.

"It's _NOT_ broken Jacen! She's just…!"

Without warning, an eerie green mist began to spew from the husk's mouth and serpentine on the floor all around us. Christine whimpered and I felt myself returning her vice grip on my hand ten-fold. When the mist was at least knee level with all of our bodies, a hissing, disembodied voice spoke.

_"I AM THE ORACLE OF DELPHI." _It hissed. _"SPEAKER OF THE PROPHECY FORESEEN BY THE GREAT PHOEBUS APOLLO…"_

I heard Jacen mutter:

"I bet Apollo _PAID_ to have her say that!"

He was promptly shut up, courtesy, an elbow in the ribs from Paul.

"_WHO IS IT THAT SEEKS MY CONSOL?"_

Once again Jacen interrupted:

"You'd _THINK_ she'd pay attention the first time we told her…"

Paul tried to elbow him again, but Jacen dodged and stuck his tongue out at him. Paul rolled his eyes and re-announced our intention and names.

SILENCE.

I was about to agree with Jacen's earlier comment that maybe the Oracle _WAS_ broken, when all of a sudden the voice began to recite.

_"FOUR SHALL LEAVE UPON THIS DAY,_

_ AN ALLY TO JOIN YOU ALONG THE WAY,_

_ A MYSTICAL BLADE, KNOWN ONLY TO SOME,_

_ A CHALLENGE: THAT ONE HERO MUST OVERCOME._

_ UPON THE CONCLUSION, A CHOICE SHALL BE MADE,_

_ A UNION IS BROKEN, THAT CANNOT BE SAVED!_

_ A DEBT WILL BE PAID; WHILE A PRICE IS INCURRED,_

_THE SLEEP OF THE HEAVENS SHALL SURELY BE STIRRED."_

The green mist was reabsorbed into the mouth of the husk and the room fell into eerie silence, the only sound heard was our breath in the chill of the attic. Paul turned to us, jaw set and looking determined, and without a single word to any of us, began to exit the attic.

* * *

><p>No one said a word as we descended down to the first floor of the Big House, where we found Chiron sitting in his wheelchair playing a game of Solitaire on the living room table. He glanced at us when we walked in.<p>

You have your quest now, I take it?" he said solemnly. We all nodded. Chiron pulled Paul aside and asked him to recite the words of the Oracle to him. When Paul was finished, Chiron nodded darkly and wheeled back around to face the rest of us.

"You must depart this afternoon from Half Blood Hill where transportation shall meet you," he said. We all nodded. "Gather supplies from the camp store and pack _ONLY_ what you believe will be helpful on your quest. Eddy…"

I perked up at the sound of my name and nodded at Chiron to continue: to my surprise. He smiled.

"Your mother is worried about you," he said kindly. "You should give her a call before you depart," His face turned serious. "For once you leave the safety of Camp Half Blood…"

I tensed.

"You may not get _another_ chance to contact her again."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author Notes: THE QUEST HAS BEGUN! I'll make sure to put these characters through Hades and back as they progress on their journey, so be prepared for everything and anything. Seriously though guys: your input IS needed! I need monsters, your favorite gods and goddesses, and mythological characters! So shoot me a PM or leave it below! **

**Chapter 10: We Get Out of Paying Our Cab Fare**

I stared at Chiron in a bit of surprise.

"My mom?" I asked. I remembered that she told me before I left that there was a way to speak at her while I was at camp.

"She mentioned there was a way to talk to her? Do you have a cell phone or something I could borrow Chiron?"

Everyone, with the exception of Jacen, stared at me like I had just asked for ten million dollars.

"Umm, Eddy," Christine began slowly. "Half bloods _don't_ normally use technology to make calls or send messages."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Why not?" I asked in curiosity. How _did_ half bloods send messages then? Paul cleared his throat and said:

"Well," he began slowly. "Cellphones and other technological devices tend to send out a signal that irritates monsters. If you _were_ to try and contact someone that way, well: you'd have to be ready to fight off whatever comes after you."

_OKAY_. So Operation: Cellphone was a _BUST_.

Paul turned to Christine.

"Can you show him how to make an Iris Message?" he asked her. Christine nodded. "While you're at it," Paul continued. "Take Jacen too. He'll need to learn how as well."

Christine raised her eyebrows at Paul curiously.

"What're you going to do, then?" she asked. Paul smiled.

"I'm going to the store to get us supplies. I can pull in a few favors that I'm owed around the camp to get lower prices. Also, I need to talk to Chiron about a few things. We'll meet at the top of Half Blood hill around…2:30, alright?"

We all nodded and walked out of the Big House. Christine led us toward the canoe lake.

"What's an Iris Message?" I asked. Christine sighed.

"Eddy, I'm _really_ going to have to get you and Jacen a book on this stuff…"

Jacen yawned and stretched as we walked.

"Or you could just _explain_," he suggested. Christine took a swipe at him that Jacen miraculously dodged under, but ended up tripping over a tree root and fell on his face. He jumped up and brushed himself off with a glare at us.

"NOT. A WORD." He snarled. We snorted and continued to the canoe lake where we stopped at the end of the dock. Christine turned to look at me with a glare.

"What did I do _now_?' I sighed. Christine pointed at the lake.

"The Naiads _LIKE_ you," she said, as if it was the most despicable thing in the world. "Call one of them up here for me. Since, they like you _AND_ you're a son of Kronos, they're obligated to help you."

_THAT_ was news to me. I crouched by the water and said:

"Umm, excuse me?" I started, feeling like an idiot. Any other place I tried something like this, people would write me off as a lunatic. To my surprise however, a teenaged girl poked her head out of the surface of the lake a few yards away and glided towards the end of the dock through the water. She smiled at me and returned the gesture. The naiad blushed and giggled, and I heard a growl from Christine. I decided to ignore _THAT_.

Christine crouched down to my level and I noticed the naiad seemed to look at her with a slightly cold glare. Christine sighed.

"Look," she began pleadingly. "We need you to shoot a steady stream of water, so we can make an Iris Message. Can you do it?"

The naiad gave Christine a gurgling sound that sounded suspiciously like: Of course I can, _STUPID_. She smiled at Jacen and me, who grinned back, and then dove beneath the surface.

Not a moment later, a stream of water erupted, splashing Christine in her face. She recoiled in outrage.

"WHY THAT NO GOOD LITTLE…!" she snarled. I tapped her on the shoulder carefully.

"Umm, Christine?" I asked hesitantly. "The Iris Message?"

She glared at Jacen and me, and dug into her pockets, withdrawing a golden coin. Jacen at this point had stopped laughing and pointed to the coin in her hands.

"Is that, a drachma?" he asked. Christine raised her eyebrows at him.

"Maybe I _don't_ need to get you a book Jacen," she said. "Yes: this is the currency that half bloods, gods, and Titans use. You need one to ask Iris, the Goddess of Rainbows and Messages to make an Iris Message, hence, the name."

We nodded and I asked:

"So, what do we do then?"

She told us to stand back a bit, which we did, and stepped cautiously towards the water spray. I figured she was wary of getting splashed _again_. She flicked the coin into the rainbow made by the water sprout and chanted:

"Oh, Iris: Goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering!"

The coin vanished in the spray with a sound like a cash register makes, and a sweet voice responded:

"Thank you for calling the Iris Message hotline. Whom would you like to contact?"

Christine looked at me as if to say: Well? And, I stepped up to the spray and said:

"Umm, show me Naomi Brown, please?"

There was a flickering of light in the rainbow, and my living room appeared. I gasped. This was pretty _sweet_.

"Mom?" I asked. Silence. I tried again. I heard a chair being pushed back from somewhere in the kitchen, and my mom appeared, holding a coffee in her hands. She looked like she hadn't been sleeping very well. The thought made me feel terrible about it. She smiled when she saw me.

"Eddy!" she beamed. "I'm _SO_ glad you're safe! Is Jacen with you?"

Jacen stepped up to my side and waved with a grin.

"Hiya, Ms. Brown!" he said kindly. My mom's eyes twinkled.

"I'm glad to see you both made it to camp safely!" she gushed. Jacen and I shared a quick, uneasy look at one another, and Christine snorted. My mom's eyebrows rose.

"Is there someone else with you?" she asked, and Christine appeared at my shoulder, looking a little uneasy. My mom's smile widened.

"Oh! Hello dear!" she said warmly. "I'm Eddy's mom, Naomi! And you are?"

"Christine Gregory ma'am," she said politely. I rolled my eyes. So Christine _could_ act polite if she _WANTED_ to!

My mom smiled even wider.

"Just call me Naomi dear!" she said. "Ma'am makes me feel old!"

Christine laughed and nodded. My mom turned back to me with a worried expression.

"Is everything all right at camp? Has your father told you anything…?"

I nodded, and she let out a breath of relief.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about your father's _true_ identity Eddy," she said. I noticed that she looked completely broken up about it. I reassured her that it was fine, and that I'm just happy I know who he is now. She smiled again. "So, what's been happening? Are the other campers nice? Are you enjoying the activities?"

I didn't have the heart to tell my mom that I hadn't even _participated_ in any activities besides Capture the Flag, _and_ that I'd be leaving the safety of the camp to go on a potential disastrous quest, but, I ended up telling her everything. The worry lines on her forehead seemed to deepen as I told my tale, and when I was finished, she looked at Jacen and Christine.

"You'll all be careful and watch out for each other, won't you?" she pleaded. Christine nodded with a smile, and Jacen puffed out his chest.

"Don't worry about a thing Ms. Brown!" he said winningly. "Eddy and I have gotten through _loads_ together! We won't let a _stupid_ quest get in our way!"

My mom smiled in relief at Jacen's proclamation and nodded gratefully. She turned back to me with a serious face.

"Oedipus," she began. I knew that when she used my _full_ name is was about to get it. "I want you to contact me _if_ you can on your quest, just to be sure you and your friends are alright. Also, make sure you keep Ananke close. Your father would be very upset if something were to happen to it!"

I blinked at her in shock.

"Mom?" I stammered. "How do you know about…?"

She shook her head and waved aside the question.

"I know a lot of things Eddy," she answered, "But that necklace is _very important_ to your father, Kronos. He gave it to Lord Apollo for safekeeping while he watched over you in school, and was supposed to hand it over to you when the time was right. I don't know what your quest will be like, and I won't pretend to _NOT_ worry, but I know that if you keep Ananke close to you, you'll be all right. Promise me?"

I nodded, and she smiled again.

"Thank you. You three should get ready to go, I'll keep in contact with Chiron to get details of how you're doing, and Eddy?"

I looked at her questioningly.

"Be careful." She said, and then she grinned. "And make sure you change your underwear!"

I went beet red in indignation, while Christine and Jacen laughed loudly. I bellowed at her.

"I WILL MOM! _JEEZ_!"

She just grinned wider. Honestly, Moms could be SO embarrassing.

"I love you son, be safe!" she said. I told her the same, minus the 'be safe' part, and she waved her hand across the Iris Message spray and vanished. The naiad popped her head out of the water and smiled at me. I said my thanks; she giggled and blushed again, and dove beneath the water.

I glared at Jacen and Christine who were still laughing.

"Shut up." I said venomously. They kept laughing. "Seriously, just shut up!"

Jacen and Christine stopped laughing, but they still had to fight to suppress chuckles every now and then, as we made our way back towards camp.

* * *

><p>We packed our bags at the Hermes cabin. I didn't have much to take: a hygiene bag, three sets of clothes, and some extra socks and underwear. Jacen sniggered as I put the underwear in my bag, and I threw a dirty sock at his face. When all three of us were packed, we made our way towards Half Blood Hill.<p>

While we walked, I asked Jacen a question that I had been meaning to ask him since I woke up in the infirmary yesterday.

"Yo, Jacen," I began, turning to look at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"I was wondering about something," I continued. Christine looked over her shoulder to listen in. "When we were in the infirmary, you said something about your dad saying something to you, But Christine," I pointed at her. She glared: per usual. "Interrupted us. What _DID_ Hyperion say to you?"

Jacen stopped walking and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he had a face more serious than I had ever seen him make in the time that I knew him. I almost took a step back, from his drastic 180 in personality.

"My dad told me, '_When you see the flames, do not cower or run, or they will not deem you worthy of my notice. Stand strong and true as a son of mine, and the truth will be revealed to you_'."

I nodded. Jacen's face went back to his usual carefree smile.

"To be honest though," he admitted. "I'm almost crapped my pants when I saw them heading through the woods. I think the _only_ reason I _didn't_ get burned, was because I was still hopped up on adrenaline from my fight with Kevin…"

Jacen kicked a rock near his feet, which went sailing. He glared at it.

"Along with my flame powers," he continued. "I noticed that I'm really resilient, _and_ have a bit of enhanced strength, but…"

He hung his head in shame. Christine and I exchanged a glance and looked back at Jacen.

"I don't know if it'll be enough, you know…?"

I felt a pang of guilt. I got so worried about Christine yesterday; I forgot to talk to Jacen. Compared to Christine, Jacen went through the _same_ things I did. _Plus_, the kid's got a fear of the very power he possesses. _That_ can't be _easy_ to deal with. Surprisingly, it was Paul who said the words that I meant to say.

"Jacen," he said kindly. "I don't think _ANY_ of us know exactly _what_ will be enough on this quest. But don't sell yourself short. Your dad claimed you because you _were_ worthy." Paul looked around at all of us. "They claimed us because we're _ALL_ worthy. And together, we'll complete this quest, and make them proud, right?"

Jacen wiped his eyes with his forearm and smiled. "Right."

* * *

><p>When we reached the top of Half Blood Hill, we had an awesome view of camp. I felt kind of sad. I never even got to <em>attempt<em> the lava wall, ride a Pegasus, and go to sword fighting lessons in the arena: the list went on and on! I vowed that when I made it back, IF I made it back, I was going to make Christine, Paul _and_ Jacen do all of those things with me. Heck, I might even let Christine challenge me to a duel again…Okay, _NOT_.

We all stood there for a moment, until we heard a car horn beep down on the road, on the opposite side of the hill. We all turned and made our way towards the car with our backpacks, after bidding Camp Half blood farewell. I noticed that Paul was still at the top of the hill, staring at the camp with a blank expression. I ran back up to get him.

"Hey dude," I said as I approached. "Are you alright?"

Paul continued to stare at the camp silently for a moment longer, before he sighed and turned to me with a small smile.

"This place…it's been my home for the last _four_ years. I've got a lot of memories here. Good _and_ bad. It's just," he paused for a moment, thinking deeply. "Every time I have to leave it, be it a day or for a quest, I always feel like I won't make it back. I'm not saying I fear for our chances! It's just that…"

I clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry man," I said kindly. "We'll be back in no time! We're children of the Titans! We've got this!"

Paul nodded and looked at the camp one more time, I did too. And together, we walked down the hill toward the waiting car.

* * *

><p>Our transportation was one of those cabs, which looked more like a van than a car. We all threw our bags into the trunk and sat inside. I sat by Jacen in the back seat, while Christine sat ahead of us. Paul decided to sit next to the driver, seeing that he was the <em>ONLY<em> one of us to ever go to New York City before.

We took off down the road and magically passed through Camp Half Bloods magical border, and appeared on State road 25A, heading inbound for NYC. I was excited. So far, this quest seemed more like a road trip, than a life-endangering journey. I was expecting monsters and crazy disasters happening right out of the gate. But so far, the _ONLY_ disaster we passed through, was a car with a flat tire on the side of the road. Jacen tried to get Christine and me to play a rousing game of 'I Spy' but we weren't going for it.

I noticed that _something_ was amiss when we started heading towards the New Jersey exit _instead_ of the New York City one. At first, I just assumed our driver was trying to take a less congested route into downtown, but it became apparent that this was_ NOT_ the case when I watched the skyline of Manhattan disappear behind us. I tapped Christine on the shoulder.

"Umm," I began. "Is it me, or did we just _MISS_ New York?"

Christine looked back at me and whispered:

"Yeah, but maybe Paul has another idea of where we need to go first. He doesn't always let people know when plans change."

I glanced up at the glass paneling separating our driver and Paul from us and noticed that Paul…Paul was _ASLEEP_!

Christine followed my shocked gaze and her eyes widened when she noticed Paul. She scooted toward the glass and asked the driver what was going on.

"Nothing to worry about miss," he said in a heavy Indian accent. "I'm just taking a detour: I'll get you where you need to go!"

Christine glanced back at me and shrugged. Something in my gut though was telling me that this was _WRONG_. I shook my head furiously at her and Christine asked again:

"I'm sure," she said, a bit more carefully this time. "But, may I ask _where_ you're going?"

The driver smiled.

"Well, _THAT'S EASY_," he replied. "I'm taking you as far from your goal as _possible_!"

The driver swerved through traffic and took an exit ramp in Hoboken. Christine pounded on the glass panel to try and wake Paul up, but he was knocked out cold. She looked back at me with wide, frightful eyes. Jacen climbed up into her seat and pounded his fist on the paneling.

The driver laughed.

"That ain't going to do you any good kid," he grinned. "That paneling is reinforced! You can't break through it _THAT_ easily!"

Jacen stopped pounding, and placed his hand on the glass. It began to glow and _melt _right through the paneling. The driver took his eyes off the road and swerved onto the sidewalk for a moment, scattering passerby's as he did so.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD…!" He bellowed as he watched Jacen's hand melt through his _reinforced_ glass. I sprang to my feet and unleashed Ananke, which _barely_ fit in the car. I took the sickle and placed the blade through the glass, right by the drivers face. Christine looked at me with shocked eyes.

"EDDY!" She screeched. "YOU CAN'T JUST THREATEN A MORTAL WITH…!"

"This guy," I began with a growl, "_ISN'T MORTAL_. I thought something was wrong when I got in the car, and he confirmed it when he started taking us WAY off course!" I placed Ananke's blade closer to the driver's throat and snarled:

"STOP THE CAB. NOW."

The driver skidded to a halt and I had to really try hard to make sure that I didn't _accidentally_ cut into his neck with the jolt from the cab stopping. I pulled Ananke back, and turned to my friends.

"Jacen!" I shouted. He perked up at once. "Get Paul out of the cab! Hurry!"

Jacen threw open the sliding door and ran to the front passenger seat, where he pulled an unconscious Paul out. I wheeled around to face Christine.

"Christine, you're with me! I don't know much about monsters, but I can _DEFINITELY_ tell you that this guy _is_ one!"

Christine turned pale and nodded. We both hopped out of the car, weapons drawn. Christine had a celestial bronze spear that must've been collapsible, because I didn't notice it earlier. I had Ananke, and Jacen was setting Paul down in a nearby alley on the street, out of harm's way. He came back with his hands on fire.

The driver chuckled sinisterly.

"Ah, half bloods," he shook his head as he got out of the cab. "Titan bloods no less. A rarity yes, but you have not been tested yet. The one who is asleep, yes: but you three…" He narrowed his eyes at us, and I realized they were slits. His body began to morph into a hideous creature. His face stayed the same, but his arms and legs started to change. When he had changed completely, we recoiled at what stood before us.

A beast, with the cab drivers head, the body of a lion and a spiked missile-throwing tail! He had wings on his back, like a bat's and he snarled darkly at the three of us. I gulped and faced Christine, whose face seemed to pale in recognition.

"Christine!" I hollered. "Do you know what this _THING_ is?"

She shivered and nodded.

"It's…it's a Manticore!"

Jacen groaned.

"_SERIOUSLY?_" He bellowed in outrage. "First, we get a Chimera yesterday, and _NOW: WE GET A FREAKIN' MANTICORE. AWESOME_!"

The Manticore simply laughed menacingly at us.

"You _CANNOT_ defeat me! Your powers are still TOO weak! I shall crush you beneath my paw and devour your flesh, Titan bloods!"

Did this thing _really_ think we were just going to lie down and take that? _NO THANK YOU MR. MANTICORE._

"Yeah,' I said. "That's…_NOT_ going to happen!"

The Manticore raised it's tail and fired a blast of arrow-like barbs from its' tail at us. We ducked behind the cab and listened as we heard the distinct 'thunk, thunk, thunk' of the barbs impaling into the cab's body.

"Crap!" shouted Jacen. "What do we do? With those barbs, it's going to be _IMPOSSIBLE_ to get up close to fight!"

I nodded. That would _DEFINITELY_ be a _HUGE_ problem to solve. I glanced around the corner of the cab's rear and saw the Manticore slowly stalking toward us. Christine was literally shaking in her shoes. I shook her shoulder hard and forced her to meet my gaze.

"I promised that we would watch each other's backs right?" I said solemnly. She nodded, wide-eyed. "Well, I need you to watch Jacen's and my backs as we try to go fight that thing!"

Maybe it was the way I said it, _not_ including her in the action, but I noticed the fire seemed to reignite in Christine's eyes. She gripped my hand that was on her shoulder.

"I can cover you two idiots _better_, if I fight _WITH_ you!" she snarled. I smiled widely at her.

"Good to have you back," I said. Then I noticed the manticore's head literally no further than five feet from the back of the cab.

"GUYS! MOVE NOW!"

We sprang out from our cover at the rear of the cab and ran onto the sidewalk. Good thing too, because the Manticore seemed to have had enough of waiting for us, and decided to flip the cab over.

Jacen grimaced.

"He is _so_ not getting insurance or payments back on that…"

We ran into the alley where Jacen stashed Paul and carried him behind a dumpster and hid. At this point, we were already out of breath and sweating slightly. We heard the Manticore roar at the end of the alley, and I could hear its footfall as it began to make its way toward us once more. I glanced at my friends.

"We need a plan, NOW." I said frantically. Christine looked at Paul, who was still asleep, and frowned.

"I wish Paul was awake!" she cried. "He'd know _EXACTLY_ what to do in this mess!"

Jacen clicked his tongue impatiently.

"That's great and all," he snarled as he peeked around the dumpster to see the monster's position. "But we _DON'T_. So, we'll have to make due on our own this time around!"

Christine nodded and looked at me.

"I can't remember the Manticore's weak spot," she began quickly. "But, I _do_ know that it's _INVULNERABLE_ to flame attacks. The only way to fight it is with _MELEE_ combat!"

Jacen looked at her incredulously.

"_NO_ FLAMES!" He cried indignantly. "BUT THAT'S _ALL_ I GOT!"

I gripped Ananke tighter in my hand.

"Well Jace," I said gritting my teeth in preparation for what I was about to do. "Guard Paul then. No sense in sending you out to an early death!"

Jacen glared at me.

"FINE." He sighed. "But, you two be careful. Those barb things look like a REAL doozy!"

Christine rolled her eyes at him and clutched her spear tightly.

"Thanks Captain _OBVIOUS_." She snapped.

The Manticore was now completely down the alley, sniffing us out.

"Come out Titan bloods!" it called. "I _KNOW_ you are down here! Admit defeat, and I will make your deaths less painful than I'd like to!"

I jumped out from behind the dumpster on the right side, while Christine went left. I charged the Manticore with Ananke raised and swung at the Manticore, who leapt aside with ease.

"Is that _ALL_ you've got?" it said with glee. "This will be _easier_ than I thought…ARRRRGGGGHHH!"

Christine stabbed her spear right in the manticore's hindquarters. _IF_ it _WASN'T_ trying to maul us to death, I might've felt BAD for it. Instead, I used its distraction to my advantage and swung Ananke at its face with all of my might, only to be met by a clawed paw.

There was a clang of steel on steel and with a curse: I leapt back.

"What are this thing's claws _made_ of?" I shouted. Christine ran to my side, with her bloody spear set to attack again.

"Its claws are made out of the same metal as the barbs on its tail!" she explained. "I don't think we'll be able to make a frontal assault like that again: not to mention, he'll be on his guard this time, so we'll have to be careful!"

I tightened my jaw in aggravation. _HONESTLY_. I just _HAD_ to admit that this quest was easy, and look where it got me! A Manticore attack in some random alley in Hoboken, New Jersey!

"What _SHOULD_ we _do_ then?" I asked in frustration. The Manticore winced from the pain in its backside and grinned.

"Why _GIVE UP_, of course!" it bellowed.

"_NOT_ an option!" I snarled in reply, raising Ananke again.

* * *

><p>The fight was going worse than I expected. The Manticore seemed immune to our celestial bronze and titanic silver spear and blade. Everything we did just served to tire us out, and make the manticore's job of defeating us easier. It didn't help that after <em>every<em> attack we made the Manticore had new and explicit ways of telling us to just surrender and let him eat us.

The beast shot another flurry of spiked barbs at us that impaled the dumpster Jacen and Paul were stashed behind. The thought of those two getting hit made me furious. Apparently, Christine was in the same boat, because, without warning, she charged the beast, spear poised to attack.

"CHRISTINE WAIT!" I bellowed. And once again, it happened. The manticore's paw swung down at Christine's blind side and I ran to intercept. The paw was no less than a foot from Christine's side and I dove for her, intending to take the hit instead. And _THAT'S_ when it happened.

Time froze, and I grabbed Christine, frozen in outrage, and pulled her by the midsection out of harm's way. I grabbed Ananke and swung at the paw, severing it from the manticore's body. Time went back to normal and there was a howl of pain from the Manticore as it realized its paw was now missing. Christine looked up at me with wide eyes from the ground.

"What! I was about to…but now…" she stammered. I panted heavily and looked down, offered her my hand, and pulled her to her feet.

"I…I think," I heaved. "I think one of my powers…is to stop time."

Christine's eyes widened.

"Of course! Your father, Kronos, is the TITAN of _Time_!"

I nodded.

"To be honest, that must've been the _second_ time I've ever done that…"

Her eyes narrowed in thought and she gasped.

"During Capture the Flag!" she said. I nodded. The Manticore wasn't giving us any more time to continue or chat though. It turned towards us with a murderous look and bellowed:

"YOU." It turned to me. "THE ONE WHO SMELLS OF THE TITAN KING. YOU WILL DIE _FIRST_!"

It raised its tail and took aim. I felt completely drained. Stopping time like that must've really drained me. There was _NO_ way I'd be able to do _THAT_ again. I raised Ananke best I could and got ready to deflect as many of the barbs as I could.

Suddenly, there was a scream of pain from the Manticore. Christine and I looked up to see one of its _own_ spikes imbedded in its left eye. We faced the direction it came from to see Jacen, arm still outstretched and grinning at us. Paul was on his feet too.

"Great shot Jacen!" Paul cried. Jacen gave him thumbs up and they sprinted toward us. Christine ran over and embraced Paul tightly. I felt my heart drop.

"Thank the Gods you're okay!" she cried, sobbing into his chest. Paul patted her back consolingly.

"I'm _FINE_, Christine," he said. "I was just put under a minor enchantment by the Manticore. Eddy!"

I looked over at him.

"The Manticore's only weak spot is its _EYES_!" Paul yelled. I nodded. The Manticore was trashing around in pain, trying to paw the barb from its eye, to no avail. Every time it touched it, it seemed to renew its pain ten-fold. I glanced at Jacen who was looking at me, waiting for my cue.

"Jace," I said. "Give me a boost!"

Jacen nodded and crouched. He cupped his hands together and nodded, letting me know that he was ready. I was _counting_ on Jacen's enhanced strength for my idiotic idea to work. I ran, leapt on his cupped hands, and with a mighty roar from Jacen, I was launched ten feet into the air. I brought Ananke up and when I was level with the Manticore's only _good_ eye left, I swung diagonally down. With a mighty roar, Ananke cut right through the Manticore's eye, blinding it completely. It reared back, and I rolled underneath its body. I swung Ananke again, and swiped its belly. Ananke hummed with power, and with a fierce shout, I sliced right through!

The Manticore vanished in an explosion of golden dust. I lay on the ground, completely drained. Ananke: still humming slightly in my hand, almost as if it were pleased by my performance in the fight. Jacen ran over and helped me to my feet, but I staggered slightly, and my knees buckled. Jacen caught me and slung one of my arms over his shoulders. Christine ran over to patch me up with some ambrosia squares, which I wolfed down. Afterwards, I felt well enough to stand on my own. I tapped Ananke's blade and it shrunk back into necklace form again. I could still feel it humming with what I believed was satisfaction, that it was used in such a great fight.

I _hoped_ that it wasn't going to be an _EVERY FIGHT_ kind of thing though. The thought of having a blade that delighted in me _ALMOST DYING_ to get riled up made me nauseous.

"Great job Eddy!" Paul said as he walked over to us. He looked at the still disintegrating powder left over from the Manticore and narrowed his eyes.

"I don't like this," he began darkly. We all looked at him as he turned back to face us. "Chiron _WOULDN'T_ set us up with a _monster_ for a driver, yet: here one was."

Christine's eyes widened.

"What do you mean Paul, surely Chiron…?" she stammered. Jacen shook his head at her and looked at Paul and nodded.

"NOT Chiron, Christine," Jacen said solemnly. "Paul suspects _FOUL PLAY_. And to tell you the truth, I do too. Remember what Apollo said?"

I shuffled through my memories from last night and suddenly remembered.

"He said that some of the Olympians _would_ side with Zeus and make things harder for us." I said. There was a distinct rumble in the sky above, like thunder, but I ignored it. I wasn't about to show _RESPECT_ to a guy who tried to _KILL_ my friends and I, _TWICE_.

Paul nodded.

"We need to be more alert next time…" he said, with a hint of self-loathing. Christine put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"Paul," she said consolingly. "It's _not_ your fault. We we're _BLIND-SIDED_. There was _no _way that you could've…"

Paul growled. Not so much at Christine, but more at himself.

"My father is the Titan of _FORESIGHT_!" he argued. "I _should've_ known something was wrong when I looked at the driver! That was just _careless_ of me! And look at us now! We _almost_ got KILLED!"

Paul took a few deep breaths to steady his breathing. I'd never seen the kid so riled up before. I always pictured him as the calm, collected type, but I suppose a monster attack can do that to people.

"Look," I said, trying to ease the tension. "We're _alive_, and that's what _MATTERS_. We'll have to be more alert next time, but let's just be thankful that there _IS_ a next time, all right?"

Everyone nodded and Paul seemed to calm down considerably.

"Right," he said. "Sorry guys. I…I just _HATE_ feeling _HELPLESS_."

Jacen grinned.

"We all do man," he said. "_NO FLAME POWERS_! I didn't know how I'd even help out! Good thing you woke up and told me to hit that thing's eyes with one of its barbs! That was an _EPIC_ idea!"

Paul smiled gratefully. Christine looked up at the sky and asked:

"So, WHERE do we go from here?" she said. "What did we even come to the city for anyways?"

We all looked at Paul who sighed and replied:

"Actually, I was _HOPING_ to find someone…"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Who were you hoping to find?" I asked.

Paul studied my face for a moment, like he was wondering whether or not to answer, and then said:

"Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: We Run An Errand For A God**

Now, I'm sure you're used to me saying this _a lot_ by now, but when Paul said '_Hermes_' I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped in shock.

"Dude!" I shouted in disbelief. "I thought the whole _idea_ was to _AVOID_ the Olympians! And now you just want to go and _find_ one?"

Paul raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"Hold on man," he began. "Hear me out. Hermes is indifferent to the whole thing between the Titans and Olympians! He's just a messenger! I don't think we're taking a risk asking him for a favor! He's the God of Travelers! And he might know where we need to go!"

Jacen narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah," he said solemnly. "But what's to stop him from _reporting_ what we're doing to Zeus? For all we know, he _leads _us into _ANOTHER _trap!"

I nodded at Jacen's comment. He _had_ a point. The Olympians (save for a select few) _COULDN'T_ be trusted. Not as long as Zeus still had it out for us on our quest! Christine stepped between us.

"Guys," she said. "We don't need to argue about this. We _need_ a plan of action! I agree with Paul…"

"Well, _THAT'S_ shocking." I muttered venomously under my breath. Christine glared at me.

"Paul's done a quest! If he thinks that's what we should do, I'm with _him_."

I sighed and shared a look with Jacen, who still looked defiant, but even he slowly nodded agreement.

"Fine." I grumbled. I clenched Ananke, and looked at Paul.

"I'm with you man," I began. "_BUT_, if Hermes has it in for us, don't get mad when I say I _told_ you so!"

We made our way via taxi (without a monster, thankfully) through the Lincoln Tunnel and into the city. I had never been to NYC, and was _amazed_ by how much was going on. I glanced around at all of the skyscrapers, wondering which one Olympus was anchored to. I felt distinctly uncomfortable traveling right through Zeus' turf like this, and I could tell the others, _even_ Paul, felt the same way. We zipped down 8th Avenue, and Paul told the driver to pull over at the curb, and paid him the fare for the ride. When we were on the sidewalk he took a deep breath and sighed.

"Oh Styx," he said, looking into his backpack. "That was more expensive than I thought it would be. We're going to have to find a cheaper way to travel from now on, we're down in finances by half…I paid the Manticore in advance when we got in the cab at camp…"

Jacen grinned and reached into his jean pocket, and withdrew a roll of cash and handed it over to Paul.

"I kind of _found_ this on the sidewalk after the fight," he began smiling. "When the Manticore flipped the cab, I saw it roll out, so I picked it up!"

Paul's face lit up like Christmas had just come early. I clapped a hand on Jacen's shoulder with a wicked grin.

"Dude," he beamed. "You're _AWESOME_! Way to go!"

Jacen blushed in embarrassment and scratched his head.

"It's nothing. Just thought we'd get ourselves a refund for crappy service!" he laughed.

We all joined in with Jacen's laughter. Christine stopped giggling and looked at Paul curiously.

"So, where to now?" She asked. Paul looked across the street and pointed at a building that strongly resembled the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Along its façade was an inscription in English that read:

_"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."_

As I finished reading, I noticed that the English letters began to morph into Ancient Greek. I stepped back in surprise and said:

"Whoa! Can you guys see what I'm seeing?"

Paul, Jacen, and Christine looked at the words and their eyes widened. Paul nodded slowly.

"It says: Hermes Express No. 1 Depot. Sign the fare, and we'll get your package there. Anytime, anywhere…" Paul read.

Jacen scratched his head in confusion.

"You know," he began. "I can _read_ that, but I'm pretty sure I'm not fluent in any language except good old English…"

I nodded my agreement. It was the second time I noticed that I could read Ancient Greek writing. Now that I thought about it, I was able to translate the inscriptions on Apollo's sun chariot the same way. Christine rolled her eyes and glanced at us in resignation.

"I suppose _NO ONE_ told you two that _ALL_ Greek half bloods can _speak_ and _read_ Ancient Greek?"

I blinked at her.

"We _CAN_?" I said in astonishment. Paul nodded.

"Yeah, it's the language of the Gods and Titans," Paul said knowledgeably. "_All_ children of the immortals can understand it. You probably didn't realize it because most immortals _speak_ the language of their host country: which for us, is English."

I nodded in understanding. Jacen yawned and pointed at the building.

"This is _very_ enlightening and all," he droned. "But, can we _PLEASE_ get on with this? I don't want to be out in the open where monsters can find us any longer than we _need_ to be."

* * *

><p>We entered the building, which we found out was called the James A. Farley Post Office. We made our way down sleek marble halls, passing people who were dropping off packages, or picking them up at different helper desks. Paul led us down towards a main desk, where a man had his back turned, writing things down on a clipboard. We approached, and without turning to see us the man said:<p>

"Can I help youz guys?" He had a thick New Yorker accent. Paul cleared his throat and said:

"Umm, we're looking for Hermes Express' terminal?"

The man turned around to survey us. He had a slim athletic build, and salt and pepper hair. His face looked mischievous and he had slightly pointy ears and a smile like he had just pulled off an elaborate prank that he was just waiting to put into action. He grinned at us.

"Well! Youz guys have come to the right place! Look no further, because you've found it!"

Paul sighed in relief. I suppose he was glad this guy was the right one; otherwise it would've made for a really _awkward_ situation. The man scratched his head and looked over us.

"I see youz guys don't have a package?" he asked in confusion. Christine tried for her best winning smile.

"No sir," she answered politely. "You see, we were wondering if we could talk to your boss…?"

The man's eyes widened and he smiled again.

"Well, the boss should be in momentarily," he said helpfully. "Why don't youz guys step into his office and I'll let him know that youz guys want to talk to him, eh?"

We all shared a nervous glance and then nodded. The man led us behind the kiosk and down another adjoining hallway. He stopped in front of a nice wooden door and led us into an office. The room was crammed with boxes of all shapes and sizes, with different address stamped on them. Paris, London, I _even_ spotted one package that was to be delivered to Chiron at Camp Half Blood!

The man waved his hand, and four comfortable looking chairs appeared in front of a rickety looking wooden desk. He grinned at us and said:

"I'll be right back," he said. "I'll let the boss know that youz guys are here!"

And with that, the man swept from the room and closed the door with a soft click.

We sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, until Jacen broke it.

"I don't like this," he said warily. "It _stinks_ of a scam, or trap!"

I nodded, and Paul sighed.

"Look, we have to take a chance guys," he said pleadingly. "I know it seems fishy, but Hermes is the _only_ Olympian that I could think of that can probably tell us where we _need_ to go! The prophecy didn't mention a final location or location in general, so we need some advice!"

I shrugged and replied:

"Well, if it's an Olympian we need, why didn't we just go to Lady Demeter? Lord Apollo said that she'd help!"

Paul sighed and fixed me with raised eyebrows.

"Do you know _WHERE_ Lady Demeter is right now, Eddy?" he asked skeptically. "Just so you know, friendly _or_ not, Olympians don't come to _you_ unless they _want_ or _need_ something!"

I sighed in resignation. Figures: Paul _would_ know about these kinds of things after all. Suddenly, I remembered something; I turned to Paul to tell him what I just remembered, when the office door opened.

We wheeled around to face the door, only to see the same guy that led us to the office in the first place. He was now dressed in a crisp business suit. He smiled and made his way over to the desk and sat down, crossing his hands on top of the desk and waiting patiently for us to talk. Christine seemed to find her voice first.

"Excuse me sir," she said carefully. "Where is your boss?"

The man just grinned winningly. I heard a palm slap and looked over to see Paul shaking his head with a wry smile.

"As crafty as ever, Lord Hermes." He said. I looked back at the man in shock. He just grinned wider at my expression.

"Indeed, my young half bloods!" Hermes said. "The Messenger God, and God of Travel and Thieves, at your service!"

Jacen shook his head.

"I'll never get used to this!" he grumbled irritably. Hermes just laughed good-naturedly.

"So, what can I do youz guys for?" Hermes asked, with a twinkle in his eye. Paul cleared his throat and said.

"Erm, we're kind of on a quest Lord Hermes," he began slowly. Hermes nodded in understanding a waved his hand for Paul to continue, which he did.

"And we need some advice on where we need to go next. I was hoping, I mean; WE were hoping, you'd be able to guide us?"

Hermes leaned back in his chair and tapped his chin in thought.

"The Big Boss ain't going to like it," he began darkly. We all tensed. Hermes sat back up in his chair and smiled at us. "But, I like a good prank on my old man, so I'll help youz guys out!"

We all sighed in relief. Hermes held up a finger.

"But…" he began. Jacen groaned. "I'm going to need youz guys to do me a favor. Nothing to big, I just need youz guys to deliver a message for me to a certain someone!"

Paul narrowed his eyes.

"To whom do we need to deliver this message? And why can't you do it?"

Hermes gestured around the office at all of the boxes and packages.

"I would," he began, "but who's going to deliver all of this stuff: Youz guys?" He raised an eyebrow in challenge, and then chuckled.

"See? I thought not! It's really simple, I assure you!"

We all looked at Paul who sighed.

"Can, you _at least_ tell us where we need to go then first?" he tried. I thought he was pushing it a bit. I mean; for all Hermes knew, we'd just continue on our quest and not deliver his message. Hermes, however: just shrugged and leaned back in his chair again.

"Sure, why not?" he said with a grin. "Besides, this works out in _BOTH_ of our favors! Seeing that the recipient of my message and the location you seek are in the _same_ place!"

Well. I _didn't_ see _that_ happening! I thought in astonishment. What were the odds? Paul nodded and asked:

"So, where?"

Hermes stood up from his chair and looked out the window.

"Youz guys need to go to Atlantic City, and seek out 'the one who waits by the sea'.

Well, THAT'S not confusing or cryptic! I thought bitterly. Honestly, what's up with Gods and their riddles? Can't they just tell you a straightforward answer? Paul thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Okay, and who do we need to deliver this message of yours to?" he asked carefully. Hermes turned back to face us and grinned.

"Well, I need youz guys to tell a certain goddess to stop making things difficult for me to collect my payments on deliveries," he began casually. I didn't like the sound of _THAT_. How could a bunch of teenage half bloods try to tell a _goddess_ what to do?

"Of course, she'll be difficult to deal with, but I'm sure youz guys will be fine!"

Jacen narrowed his eyes at the messenger god.

"So who _do_ we need to tell this to, exactly?"

Hermes' smile only grew larger, and his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Oh, you've probably heard of her," he said. "She's the Goddess of Discord, Strife, and Rivalry: Eris."

* * *

><p>"We <em>can't<em> go through with it." That was Christine's proclamation, for the thousandth time, as we ate in Bryant Park.

Paul sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He looked at her in irritation.

"_Christine_," he began warningly, but she cut him off.

"The Goddess of _Strife_, Paul!" she hissed. "Eris? That's just got _BAD NEWS _stamped all over it!"

Jacen, whose mouth was stuffed to the brim with potato chips, nodded in agreement. I decided to throw my two drachmas in.

"Christine," I began warily. "Paul's right; we don't _have_ another option. I have NO doubt that Hermes will know if we decide to just blow him off! Do you really want him as an enemy?"

Christine rolled her eyes, and snapped in reply:

"The only thing Hermes told us was: 'seek out the one who waits by the sea!' That could be _anyone_!"

I sighed.

"Yes, but it's our only shot. The _real_ question is: how do we get to Atlantic City? We can't take a cab; the fare would be enormous!" I added.

Paul scratched his head and looked at the sky, where the sun was beginning to set.

"I would've tried flagging down Lord Apollo for a ride," he said dejectedly. "But, I don't think Zeus would stand for that."

There was a roar of thunder overhead. I assumed that was Zeus saying: You bet your butt, I wouldn't!

Jacen took a huge swallow and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. I saw Christine give him a disgusted look, which he simply ignored.

"Well, can we get in contact with Chiron again?" he suggested. "We could let him know the situation, and camp's only about two hours away. Maybe he could send us transportation?"

Paul shook his head.

"We _can't_ ask Chiron," Paul said. "Chiron is at camp under the favor of the Olympians. If he tries to help us _too_ much, Zeus might begin to doubt his loyalties and remove him. Chiron _is_ in charge of the Olympian's children for the most part, you know…"

I never really thought about how hard this had to be for Chiron. On one hand, our father, Kronos was probably counting on him to help us wherever he could, while on the other hand, Zeus would most likely keep a carefully trained eye on what he did, just to make sure he wasn't showing favoritism towards the Titans. The thought made me sad and furious at the same time. I stood up abruptly.

"So what _do_ we do, then?" I growled. I was tired of just standing around. Paul watched me for a moment and sighed.

"We'll figure something out, I'm sure…"

I groaned. _That_ was _not_ what I was hoping he'd say. I glared around the park, for something somewhat productive to do and noticed someone was watching us. Christine had begun to resume her debate with Paul, but I held up a hand to quiet her.

"Eddy, what?" she began, but Paul must have sense the presence too. He stood up and called:

"Whoever is out there, come out!"

Silence. A few passersby's on the street laughed at Paul, but he didn't seem to care. I watched the spot I was _positive_ I saw someone in. Not a moment later, I watched as a figure approached us carefully, and came into the light cast from the park lamp we were seated under.

I blinked. The figure was a tree nymph. She had green hair, and pale green skin. Her eyes were light brown and she was wearing a simple white chiton and sandals. She turned to face me and bowed with a cute smile and blush.

"It's an honor to be in your presence, Son of Lord Kronos," she said politely. I blinked again. I was _still_ not used to all of the respect my parentage seemed to garner from nature spirits, but I just went with it.

"What's your name?" I asked simply. The tree nymph beamed at me.

"My name is Maple, my Lord." She said sweetly. She curtsied to me and I nodded. I glanced around the park, and pointed at a maple tree nearby.

"I assume that's _your_ tree then?" I asked. Maple nodded.

"So, Maple," I continued. "Why were you watching us?"

Maple blushed.

"I…I overheard you and your companions debating on how to get to Atlantic City, My Lord…" She began. I stopped her and said:

"Can you just call me, Eddy?" I asked. "The whole, 'My Lord' makes me feel like a prick."

Maple's eyes grew wide and she shook her head furiously.

"I-I could _not_ do such a thing, My Lord!" she squeaked. "To show such _blatant_ disrespect to a son of Lord Kronos!"

I sighed. Well, it was worth a try, I thought. I told her that it was fine and restated my question. Maple nodded and continued.

"Well, if you require transportation My Lord, why not ask your aunt, Lady Tethys for help? She is a sea goddess and could spirit you on your way…?"

Paul stood up and walked over to us, shaking his head at me.

"_NOT_ a good idea, Eddy," he said. "Even _if_ Lady Tethys helped, we _DO NOT_ want to risk venturing into Lord Poseidon's realm. If I know Poseidon: he's on Zeus' side. We need _ANOTHER_ way."

I looked at Maple who thought for a moment and then, clapped her hands.

"You _could_ visit Lady Aix in Central Park! She is always singing during nightfall, and she could help you with your problem, My Lord!"

I glanced at my friends who seemed to be deep in thought. Paul glanced at the silhouette of the Empire State Building and grimaced.

"The farther we get away from New York City, the better," he began slowly. "If this…Lady Aix can _help_, then we really don't have another option. Can you lead us to her, Maple?"

Maple looked sadly at the ground.

"I cannot travel beyond this park, because of my tree," she answered, glancing back at the large maple behind us. "If there was someway…"

I don't know why, but I closed my eyes and prayed to my dad.

'Hey Dad?' I thought. It was _seriously_ weird to call on my dad like this. 'Is there someway you can help Maple guide us? We need her help to seek an audience with Lady Aix…'

Silence. And nothing. My friends all glanced at me like I was crazy. I glared at them. Suddenly, Maple gasped in shock.

I turned to see that she was now bathed in a golden glow. When it died down, seconds later, she looked at me and then at her tree and smiled.

"Thank you, My Lord!" she cried happily, embracing me around the midriff. I blushed and scratched my cheek.

"Umm," I said awkwardly. "You're welcome?"

Maple must've realized I didn't have a _clue_ what she was thanking me for and gushed:

"Your father has temporarily released me from my binding to my tree! I can help you reach Lady Aix now!"

My eyes widened and I looked up to the sky and grinned.

"That's great!" I exclaimed. 'Thanks a lot, Dad!' I thought. The trees in the park seemed to rustle in response.

I heard a growl from behind me and glanced over my shoulder to see Christine glaring at me.

"So, _Sickle Boy_," she snapped. _Sickle Boy_? That was new. "Are you going to stand around hugging Maple all day? Or can we go see this Lady Aix and get some way out of the city?"

I blushed and promptly let go of Maple, who pouted slightly, with her cheeks tinged a dark green. Jacen and Paul sniggered and I glared at them. Paul made a poker face, while Jacen tried, and _failed_, to school his expression, and continued to chuckle.

* * *

><p>We made our way down the blocks of New York City with Maple, who was repulsed by the grime and pollution mortals had caused. She went on to rant about how Manhattan used to be a beautiful forest hundreds of years ago, and that many nature spirits fled the island when the Dutch settled. I didn't pay much attention though. I was trying to think about what Hermes' cryptic message meant. 'Seek out the one who waits by the sea' he had said. Was it a person: or maybe: something else entirely? The thought made my head hurt. I looked at Jacen, who was looking at all of the stores we passed with interest. Christine had to keep turning around to grab Jacen when he stopped to gawk at a window display too long.<p>

"Honestly, you're like a little kid!" she growled at him in irritation. She had just ripped him from a window display outside a GameStop as we walked down Avenue of the Americas. Jacen crossed his arms and pouted.

"But the PlayStation 4 is out: don't you play video games, Christine?" he whined. Christine looked at him like he had declared himself an exact doppelgänger of Beyoncé.

"Umm, no." she said testily, but I saw her blush in embarrassment. Jacen's eyes widened.

"Oh my Gods!" he exclaimed. I found it funny that he was warming up to using half blood interjections lately. "We have to get you on some Call of Duty as soon as possible after the quest!"

Maple, who was walking beside me and listening, looked up at me in bewilderment.

"My Lord," she began curiously. "What is a _'video game'_?"

I glanced at a sign that told me that Central Park was another mile and a half from our current location, which meant something like 25 minutes by foot. I groaned and slapped my forehead in resignation.

If Maple _had_ to ask these kinds of questions: It was going to be a _LONG_ walk.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: We Get A Ride To The Oceanside **

Thankfully, after twenty minutes of trying to explain to Maple why people _play_ video games; we reached the southern entrance to Central Park. The sun had set by now, and New York City was bathed in light from its many skyscrapers and streetlights. Maple looked up at the sky and frowned.

"It always saddens me that because of all this light, one cannot see the stars and heavens anymore." She whispered. I looked up and noticed what she meant. It was so bright from the city lights I couldn't even make out a single speck of light, signifying a star. I smiled reassuringly at her.

"You know, it's _not_ like this _everywhere_," I commented. "Back home, in Pittsburgh, there's a place called Schenley Park. On top of Flagstaff Hill there, you can see _plenty_ of stars!"

Maple regarded me with wide eyes.

"I wish I could see this Schenley Park!" she gushed. I smiled at her.

"Yeah, that'd be cool."

I heard someone clear their throat behind me, and turned to see Christine with her arms crossed and a fierce glare at us. I gulped uneasily.

"Yeah?" I asked weakly. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"We're _here_," she pointed out sharply. "So, if you and Maple are _done_ flirting, maybe we can go find this Lady Aix?"

I blushed and turned to Maple, who was playing with the hem of her chiton with a deep green blush on her face.

"Umm," I began awkwardly. "Maple, can you…?"

She nodded without looking at me and led us into the forest of Central Park.

* * *

><p>As we walked we passed a few homeless people who were sleeping on park benches or underneath bridges in makeshift blankets. I had seen my fair share of homeless people, and the sight of them made me sad. Jacen gave them a wide berth, complaining about the smell. One drunken hobo staggered up to us, asking for money. Christine told him to get lost, which I thought was rude.<p>

"You know, you don't _need_ to be so rude to him, Christine." I said irritably. Christine scoffed and kicked a stick that was in her path. Maple glared reproachfully at her.

"Where _I'M_ from," she began bitterly, "Homeless people aren't exactly people to feel sympathy for, unless you want to get screwed over _BIG TIME_."

I looked at her in astonishment.

"Umm," I said awkwardly. "Where _are_ you from?"

Christine glared at me.

"None of your business, Eddy!" she spat. _GREAT_. We were back at square one, _ONCE AGAIN_. Maple made to say something in my defense, but I shook my head at her to let it go. She nodded hesitantly, and continued to lead us through the maze that was Central Park.

We were about ten minutes in when I heard the singing. It was soft and hypnotic, not to mention beautiful. I felt lightheaded and giddy. I smiled at Jacen, who smiled back with a similar dopey expression on his voice. I glanced over at Paul who was swaying slightly to the music, while even Christine had stopped glaring and adopted a more relaxed, easy-going expression.

That _all_ ended, when I felt a sharp pain on my foot. I looked down to see Maple's foot right on top of mine. For a little dryad, she hit with the force of a full sized centaur.

"OWW!" I bellowed. I glared, teary-eyed at her, and her fierce expression turned apologetic.

"I AM SO SORRY, MY LORD," She said sincerely. "But, Lady Aix's music can ensnare you, you would not be fit to speak with her if you are smiling like a buffoon!"

She gestured to Jacen who was doing some sort of deformed pirouette on the park path we were on. I snorted.

"Can you break the music's bind on them as well?" I asked, chuckling at Paul, who was attempting to do a very awkward two-step in time to the music.

Maple nodded, and began to whack, stomp, and slap Paul, Christine, and Jacen back into focus. They blinked and glared at me because I was laughing.

"Not. A. _Word_, Eddy," Jacen snarled. "Or I _swear_…!"

I choked back a laugh and nodded. I'd _NEVER_ get the image of Jacen trying to dance out of my mind; no matter how hard I tried.

* * *

><p>We made it to the source of the singing, a pond in the middle of the woods, where a procession of satyrs, nymphs, and centaurs where all gathered around a makeshift stage. I was surprised to see the makeshift stage, was a Lilly pad in the middle of the pond, where a beautiful nymph was playing a song on a lyre, and singing the song we had heard earlier.<p>

She had long, blonde hair pulled into a long braid that ran down her shoulder in the front, and enchanting blue eyes, that sparkled like the summer sky. She was dressed in a shimmering silver chiton, which seemed to float on her body like it was supported by the very winds themselves. Around her head was a laurel crown.

When she noticed the five of us enter the clearing, she stopped playing and looked at us in surprise. I assumed the other woodland creatures wanted to know _why_ the beautiful music stopped, and wheeled around to see what the beautiful nymph was looking at. I gulped when I noticed a centaur that glared at me with a look that said: Make her stop again, and I'll _trample_ you to dust, kid.

Maple pulled me forward by the hand toward the nymph on the Lilly pad, the procession of creatures parting for us. When we reached the water's edge, Maple knelt, and I followed her example by kneeling too. The nymph on the Lilly pad giggled. It was a beautiful sound, like the harmonics on a guitar, when they're hit just right.

"There is _no_ need for the _SON_ _of_ _LORD KRONOS_ to bow before the likes of me." She stated in a soft, melodious voice. I glanced up and made eye contact with her. She gasped.

"You even share his most _attractive_ trait," she purred, now moving off the Lilly pad and _floating_, yes: _FLOATING_ towards me. "You share our Lord's beautiful golden eyes! But…"

She wiggled a finger at me.

"Don't let my husband hear that I said that!"

I felt a bead of sweat roll down my face. What was this nymphs' deal? She smiled kindly at Maple, who blushed dark green.

"Ah, Maple," she said sweetly. "I see, that Lord Kronos allowed you leave from your tree in Bryant Park? Most excellent! Welcome!"

Maple bowed more deeply.

"T-Thank you, L-Lady Aix!" she squeaked. My eyes widened and I looked up at the nymph who nodded serenely.

"Yes, young Oedipus Brown," she said. I straightened at the sound of my _full_ name. "I am consort of the Wild God Pan, Lady Aix of the Lyre and Ponds, what can I do to help you, My Lord?"

I glanced back at my friends who stood awkwardly in the entrance of the pond's clearing. Paul gestured at me to ask for what we needed. I nodded and looked back at the still smiling Lady Aix.

"Lady Aix," I began uncertainly. "I'm kind of on a quest with my three friends over there," I gestured at Paul, Jacen, and Christine, "And, we need a way to get from New York City to Atlantic City, _without_ passing through the ocean…"

"Because you do not want to venture into Lord Poseidon's realm, I take it?" Lady Aix finished. I nodded in astonishment. Lady Aix giggled again.

"I would also recommend against air travel as well," She advised, "My husband has told me much of the current situation between Olympus and Othrys. Air is Lord Zeus' domain, and he would surely try to strike you down."

I nodded my agreement.

"So," Lady Aix continued. "Land travel it is!"

I looked up at her in confusion.

"My Lady?" I asked. She giggled again and clapped her hands twice.

Out of the other side of the clearing a group of large horses appeared, whinnying and pawing at the ground. Lady Aix turned to me and smiled.

"These horses are the offspring of Arion," she said. I remembered the myth about Arion. Apparently, he was a child of Poseidon and Demeter when Poseidon set upon Demeter in horse form. I was a bit skeptical about riding on a horse that could potentially be influenced by Poseidon. Lady Aix giggled and seemed to read my mind, because she went on to say:

"Do not worry about Lord Poseidon, young Lord," she said pleadingly. "Arion's offspring were raised by Lady Demeter, and are loyal only to those that she favors: which is you!"

I blinked, and grinned. 'Thanks, Lady Demeter! I owe you one!' I thought gratefully. The wild flowers around the pond seemed to glow with approval at my thanks.

I bowed deeply to Lady Aix.

"Thank you, My Lady!" I said gratefully. She blushed slightly and waved aside my thanks.

"It is the least I can do for you, young Lord," she said, picking up her lyre and strumming a few strings. "Lady Demeter would be _most_ displeased if I was to turn one of her favored away, not to mention I would _never_ attempt to incur the wrath of our Lord and Master, Kronos!"

I nodded and turned to Maple, who smiled winningly at me.

"What will you do, Maple?" I asked sadly. I had only know the dryad for a very short while, but the thought of her going back to her tree in Bryant Park made me somewhat downhearted. Maple seemed to pick up on my emotions, because she looked down dejectedly.

"Maple," Lady Aix interjected, "How would you like to become one of my handmaidens?"

Maple looked up at Lady Aix in shock.

"M-Me, My lady?" she stammered. Lady Aix nodded.

"Yes, I would be delighted to have you serve in my husband's and my court! Will you accept? If so, you will no longer be bound by your tree, and can move about freely!"

Maple looked at me, and I grinned and nodded. She got teary-eyed and nodded vigorously.

"YES!" she exclaimed in glee. "I WOULD BE HONORED, MY LADY!"

Lady Aix clapped her hands again, and a silver glow enveloped Maple. When it was done, Maple looked down at her hands and gushed:

"I'm free! I can't feel my binding to my maple tree anymore!"

Lady Aix nodded happily.

"I have freed you to stay here with me," she explained. Maple nodded and turned to me. She hugged me tightly.

"Thank you, My Lord!" she said sobbing. I patted her back consolingly.

"Don't mention it, Maple," I said softly. "It's the least I can do, you really helped my friends and I out!"

She beamed at me and turned to bow at my friends.

"Thank you as well, friends of My Lord!" she gushed. Christine turned away with a blush, crossing her arms. Paul scratched the back of his head and smiled, while Jacen gave Maple two thumbs up and grinned. I looked up at the sky and saw a whole blanket of stars in the night sky. Being this far removed from the city must be the cause of it. I tapped Maple on the shoulder and pointed at the sky. She looked up and gasped.

"There's so many!" she said in awe. I smiled at her.

"Guess you won't need to see Schenley Park, after all!" I said, grinning.

Maple grinned at me and smiled widely.

"Thanks to you, My Lord," she said gratefully. "I can go see this Schenley Park whenever I desire with My Lady's permission. Perhaps after your quest, you could show me?"

I blinked at her. Was Maple _FLIRTING_ with me? I glanced over my shoulder when I felt a sinister chill run down my spine, to find Christine glaring daggers at me. I felt a trickle of sweat run down the back of my neck and gulped.

"Sure Maple," I whispered. "But, maybe: just as friends, okay?"

Maple glanced at Christine and pouted. She shot Christine a glare that was pointedly returned and then looked back at me and nodded slowly.

I turned back to face Lady Aix, who had watched the _whole_ exchange between Maple, Christine, and I with _keen _interest who giggled at me.

"I should _warn_ you, young Lord," she said mysteriously. "The Lady of the Doves has her eye on you. That can either be in your _favor_, or _extremely_ unfortunate…"

I rose in eyebrow in confusion at her and she giggled again.

"Just _BEWARE_, Oedipus Brown. Now, you should depart! You do not have much time before you MUST complete your quest!"

My eyes widened. I spun around to look at my friends who now looked grim and confused. I glanced back at Lady Aix.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked. She narrowed her eyes at the sky darkly.

"You have until October 31st, The _Pyanepsion Feast of the Immortals_ to complete your quest, I suspect."

I gulped. When we passed a newsstand, I glanced at a paper that had today's date on it: Saturday, October 25. That meant we only had until next Friday to find whatever it is that the prophecy talked about, and at this rate: we might not make it in time!

I bowed and thanked Lady Aix for her help and said goodbye to Maple, who hugged me again, much to Christine's displeasure.

* * *

><p>All four of us mounted a horse. Jacen and I turned a bit pale as we sat astride our horses; we had <em>never<em> ridden a horse before. Paul and Christine looked like they'd been riding since they were in diapers! For someone like Christine, Super-Warrior-Chick: I wasn't _THAT_ surprised. And Paul? The guy probably _read_ every book on horses, _ever_.

Paul told us some helpful tips about riding horses, and maybe it was our half blood abilities, but we seemed to get the hang of it pretty easily. We rode in the narrow trails of the park, so the hobos wouldn't get frightened when they noticed four kids on horseback riding through Central Park.

We rode in silence until Jacen asked a question.

"So, wasn't Arion like; a _super fast_ steed?" he asked Paul. "You think his kids can run that fast too?"

All of our horses nickered indignantly, as if to say: _Duh! Stupid_ _Jacen!_

Paul stopped his horse and turned to face us.

"Let's try something." He suggested. He leaned down toward his steed's face and said:

"Can you take me, double-time, to Atlantic City, New Jersey?"

The horse whinnied and seemed to convey something to his brethren, who all nickered and pawed the ground in agreement. Paul paled and looked back at us.

"I'd hang on tight, if I were you!" he warned, and in a blur of movement, Paul vanished.

I didn't get a chance to register _where_ Paul had disappeared to, because no less than a millisecond later, I felt myself get buffeted by air so strong, I nearly flew off my horse.

Oh well, I thought. Atlantic City, here we come!

Remember when I said that riding in the Chariot of the Sun was intense? Well, riding on the back of the child of an immortal horse that can move at the speed of sound, is _more intense_.

For starters, there's no magical barrier to protect you from the subsonic speeds. Secondly, there's the _whole_ matter of riding on a _horse_. If you've _ever_ sat on a horse from more than twenty minutes, you'll get _why_ I'm complaining. Let's just say for you non-equestrians, it hurts _certain_ places after a while.

We made awesome time on the horses. Paul recommended that we travel off the coast of New Jersey to reach Atlantic City. That confused me at first, because I thought Paul was _strictly_ in favor of _not_ venturing into Poseidon's realm. But then, I realized one _really_ awesome thing about Arion's kids:

_THEY COULD RUN ON TOP OF THE WATER_!

And so, we went, skimming the surface of the Atlantic. I snickered. Even if Poseidon _wanted_ to drown us, he _couldn't_ because we _technically _weren't _in_ his realm. We were _ON_ it! As for Mr. Get Off of My Cloud, Zeus: We weren't in the sky, so he _COULDN'T_ smite us! A win-win situation!

We arrived in Atlantic City around 10:00 at night. This was good, because I'm not sure the Mist would've been ABLE to cover up four kids on horseback galloping on the surface of the ocean and onto dry land like bosses, very easily.

We all dismounted our horses, which zipped off into the distance, to go Gods know where. I turned to look at my friends.

"So, what now? We're here." I said. Christine shot me an annoyed look. Since meeting Maple, I felt like she had reverted more and more into the grumpy girl who had rescued me, and punched my arm my first day at Camp Half Blood.

"Well," she answered testily, "We find this _person_ who is waiting at the sea, and tell Eris," Christine shivered. "The message that Lord Hermes gave us!"

Jacen scratched his head.

"Okay," he began slowly. "So, what do we do first? Find this 'sea person', or tell Eris Hermes' message?"

Paul seemed to be lost in thought, before he said:

"Neither," he decided. "We've been through _A LOT_ already today. Fighting a Manticore, meeting with Hermes, and meeting with Lady Aix, not even mentioning the hour-long horseback trip we just finished. Let's just get some sleep."

We all nodded and began to set up camp on the beach, underneath the pier, where we wouldn't be found in the morning. We were lucky it was fall, _NO ONE_ save for morning joggers would be on the beach in the morning, so our chances of being discovered were near nil. Still, it never hurt to be cautious.

I rolled my sleeping bag out by Jacen and plopped down.

"What's up, man?" I said with a yawn. Jacen rolled over in his bag to face me.

"October 31st," he mused. "I just thought…I thought we'd have more _time_, you know? Also…"

Jacen's eyes narrowed as he looked at me.

"I can't get that dream about creepy space eyeball out of my head."

I blinked at him. I had almost completely _forgotten_ about that shared vision we had!

"Now that you mention it," I started in a whisper. "What do you think that was all _about_ anyways?"

Jacen shook his head.

"Honestly, Ed," he sighed. "I have _NO_ clue. Maybe we'll get more clues about it as the quest goes on. I know it sounds weird, but I feel like that _wasn't_ a coincidence we had that dream. I feel like that eyeball thing…I feel like it's _really_ important…"

Jacen turned over in his sleeping bag, so he was facing away from me and said:

"And _whatever_ it is," he said darkly. "I get the feeling…that it's REALLY BAD."

I lay awake for a while after that, looking at the ceiling of the pier. And I couldn't shake the feeling: That Jacen was _RIGHT_.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: I Get Put On Blast, By A Girl**

I should've known that my dreams were going to _suck_ after that lighthearted pre-bedtime conversation with Jacen. And lo, and behold: I found myself floating in that eerie void, with Mr. Space-Eyeball.

The weirdest thing was: I felt more like, a shade than flesh and bone. I noticed that I was just kind of spectating, not actually _present_ in the cold space. Space-Eyeball still looked like it had just woken up from a _really_ long nap. Its eyelid (the stars and space around us) was still half-lidded, and the pupil of the eye was still out of focus, like it _couldn't_ see yet properly. However, its voice seemed to work just _fine_, because I clearly heard it grumble.

"THE BLADE," it said, in a chilling tone that sent shivers down my spine, "I _MUST_ POSSESS IT BEFORE THEY GET THEIR HANDS ON IT! TO BE BOUND BY SOMETHING SO _INSIGNIFICANT_!"

Now normally, I'd give people, _or_ talking eyeballs, a _wide_ berth if I heard them muttering to themselves, but Space-Eyeball seemed to _speaking_ to _someone_. I craned my neck to try and see where its focus was directed, but I had to make sure I stayed out of its line of sight. I knew this was a vision of some kind, but that didn't make me _any_ less wary of being caught.

"WHEN THE _FIFTH _IS FOUND, THEY SHALL KNOW _WHERE_ TO LOOK, WHEN THE ERRANT GODDESS COMPLIES…" continued the eye, completely oblivious to my presence. My eyes widened. This eyeball was talking about my _friends_ and me! So, Eris had information that we _NEEDED_!

There was an eerie silence after that, and before I could ponder why that was, the space eye wheeled around and glared down at me, freezing me in my tracks.

"AH, THE SON OF _KRONOS_," it mused venomously. "YOU HAVE EAVESDROPPED LONG ENOUGH, BEGONE!"

And in a blast of icy cold wind, I felt myself being tossed, like I was in a tornado, and flung into the endless void of space and stars.

* * *

><p>I awoke with a start: sweat running down my face. I sat up and looked around. Jacen was snoring to my right, curled up in his sleeping bag. He had a long line of drool running down his face, and I couldn't help but laugh at him. I glanced over to see Paul, face planted into his pillow, without a care in the world. Paul was always an enigma to me. When he was awake, alert and knowledgeable, he seemed somewhat unapproachable, although, he was a really nice guy. When he was asleep, he just seemed <em>normal<em>, like any teenaged guy I'd ever met. Christine _shocked_ me the most. I hadn't noticed when I woke up, because of my shock at my vision, but I'm _POSITIVE_ that Christine's sleeping bag was set up near Paul's on the other side of the makeshift camp we made last night. Now, she must have moved at some point throughout the night, because her sleeping bag was now on my immediate left, right next to where I was sleeping. I decided to get up and go for a walk to clear my head. The _LAST_ thing I wanted to do, was listen to whatever Christine would yell at me when she woke up and noticed how _CLOSE_ we were all night!

The sun was barely rising over the horizon when I started out on my walk along the beach. I debated about putting my feet in the cool, ocean water, but I remembered what Paul had said about Lord Poseidon probably having it out for us, and refrained. I rolled up the cuffs of my jeans, so the sand didn't ruin them, and shoved my hands in my pockets. Since I'd never been to the ocean before, I couldn't seem to take it all in as fast as I wanted to. I blame my ADHD again, for that.

I looked down at the sand beneath my feet and couldn't seem to shake the vision from a little while ago from my mind. Each time I blinked, I could SEE that eyeball, just floating in that void, _waiting_ for _something_. What was it that it said? A blade: that binds it? What blade? And what did Eris know about this 'blade's' location, and the eyeball had mentioned the fifth member of our group. Who was _that_? I had so much going through my head that I almost walked right past someone without even realizing.

As I looked out at the ocean, a noticed someone in the early morning light, who had waded out to about their waist and was standing in the water. They were facing away from me, but I could see that it was a girl. She had medium length, curly ginger hair. She was dressed in a red hoodie, which _seriously_ was _not_ helping her in terms of looking like a ripe tomato. I was a little bit bewildered to see that she was so far in the water. I mean: it was _October_! That ocean water _had _to be _FREEZING_. The girl didn't seem to mind though, _in fact_: she looked completely _comfortable_!

As I stared at her, I noticed she was humming some song. It was pleasant, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had heard it before. I stepped closer to listen in better. I must've been in somewhat of a trace, because I yelped, when I felt cold-water soak my sneakers. The girl wheeled around in surprise and stared at me.

She had freckles splayed across her face, which was rounded and cute. Her eyes were a brilliant blue, somewhat like Apollo's, but with a more ancient kind of depth to them. They were deep, like the ocean itself. She stared at me in shock and when I met her gaze, we both blushed. It was quiet for a moment until…

She sent me flying with a blast of _freezing_ ocean water! Now, you'd think by now I'd be _prepared_ for that kind of thing, but getting blasted with freezing water _first _thing in the morning, is _NOT_ pleasant _OR_ fun. I landed in a heap on the beach at least 10 feet back and struggled up to my feet, trying to catch my breath. I shivered and shook my head free of water and glared at the girl in the ocean.

"WHAT THE HECK?" I bellowed. "DID YOU HAVE TO BLAST ME WITH SUB-ZERO WATER? _JEEZ_!"

The girl blushed and crossed her arms defiantly.

"Look, I'm _SORRY_!" she said. She had a strong Southern accent. "But, YOU should know it's _creepy_ to not make your presence known! You could've been someone _dangerous_!"

I scowled.

"That may be so," I grumbled. "But if you ask me: _you're_ the only _dangerous_ person here!"

The girl glared at me.

"Whatever," she sniffed. "I've got more important things to do than argue with some mortal boy. I'm gone!"

I was _about_ to tell her I wasn't a _mortal_, but as I opened my mouth to retort, the girl just _sank_ into sea-foam. Yeah, you heard me correctly. I blinked, and then shrugged.

Girls (mortal, immortal, and half bloods, _and now_: girls who could just sink into the ocean like water itself!) were _WEIRD_.

* * *

><p>When I arrived back underneath the pier at our makeshift camp, I was nearly bowled over by my friends who <em>demanded<em> to know where I'd gone off. I explained about my weird vision and that I needed to clear my head with a walk. Jacen and I caught Christine and Paul up-to-date about the space-eyeball, and Paul frowned.

"Sounds like something we might have to deal with."

Christine shuddered.

"I _hope_ not," she stammered. "That sounds _horrible_!"

Jacen nodded sagely, which I found hilarious, and then turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

"You said that Mr. Eyeball said something about a _blade_?"

I nodded and Paul looked up at us with wide eyes.

"Oh my Gods," he gasped. "The prophecy, you guys! 'A mystical _BLADE_ known only to some!'"

My eyes widened as well.

"Then the eyeball must've been talking about the _same_ blade!" I realized. I narrowed my eyes in thought. "But what _is_ that eyeball? It says that the blade is binding it. I don't understand what THAT means…"

Paul shook his head in desperation.

"I really can't say," he sighed. "You also said that the eyeball said something about Eris, and our fifth quest member?"

I nodded. Christine raised an eyebrow.

"You don't _honestly_ think Eris is going to _comply_ with us, do you?"

She looked around at all of us with a skeptical expression when we looked sure that Eris would do exactly _THAT_.

"Eris is like the Goddess of _NOT COMPLYING_! In fact, they say the _ONLY_ person who she'll take orders from is Lord Zeus _himself_!"

There was a roll of thunder, but we had gotten so used to it by now, we all ignored it.

Jacen shrugged helplessly.

"We _really_ don't have a choice Christine," he said. "We have to see Eris to deliver Hermes' message, although I can already tell, _that's_ not going to go over well…"

Jacen looked over at me and frowned in contemplation.

"What's up man?" I asked.

"I was meaning to ask you when you came back," Jacen said slowly. "But _why_ do you reek of seaweed and the ocean? Not to mention you're drenched! Did you take a morning swim along with your walk?"

I rolled my eyes at Jacen who was chuckling along with Paul. I told them about the mysterious girl who decided to pile drive me with two gallons worth of sea water. Christine's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Holy Hera!" she exclaimed. I snorted. What kind of interjection was _that_? "The one who waits by the sea!' Could it be that girl?"

Paul and Jacen exchanged glances and looked at me. I shrugged, while I removed my shirt in favor of a dry one.

"I'm not sure guys," I said apologetically. "Hermes said: 'The one who waits _BY_ the sea' though; not _IN _the sea…"

Paul nodded and stood up.

"Let's break up camp and have a good look around. If what Lady Aix said last night is true, we don't have the luxury of time on our side to complete this quest!"

We all nodded and set out to break apart camp, pack everything away, and get on the road once more.

* * *

><p>I noticed as we walked the Boardwalk of Atlantic City that the town had seen <em>better<em> days. A lot of the shops were boarded up, and a few casinos had closed down for good. The thought made me kind of sad. What about all the people who lived here? What would they do for jobs, if everything were closing down? I figured that the beach and ocean had a lot of appeal still, so maybe tourists would come to enjoy that.

We tried to keep our eyes peeled for anything 'mythological' but found nothing out of the ordinary. We were starting to lose hope around lunchtime, when we sat down at an outdoor snack shop and got a few hamburgers and cokes.

"This is hopeless!" Jacen cried, putting his head down on the café table. Christine scowled at him.

"Stop complaining!" she snapped, although I could tell that finding _nothing_ as well was _irritating_ her. Paul took a sip from his coke and set his empty cup on the table and sighed.

"Look," he began exasperatingly. "If Eris doesn't _want_ to be found, she's doing a _great_ job. But, I think we've been going about this the _wrong_ way…"

All three of us perked up and looked at Paul.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" I asked curiously. "How _should _we be going about this, then?"

Paul grinned coyly and replied:

"Why, we look for discord in the town!"

Christine's eyes widened.

"Of course!" she gushed. "Eris _has_ to leave behind _some _trace of her meddling _somewhere_!"

Jacen nodded as well, but had to take a swallow of cheeseburger before he added:

"That's _great_ and all, you guys," he began with a sigh, "but _where_ do we start? Atlantic City's not Camp Half Blood, its _HUGE_!"

We all deflated somewhat and looked down at the table in thought. I looked up and glanced around at the surrounding scenery. I watched as a few stragglers from casinos explored what was open on the boardwalk. I listened to the rushing sound of waves as the crashed on the beach below, and watched as seagulls fluttered here and there looking for scraps. I noticed a ginger-headed girl sneaking into Caesars with a determined look on her face. I laughed. Didn't you have to be like, 18 to go into a casino? What was that girl thinking…?

I gasped. It was _that_ girl. I sat up so fast; I knocked my Coke and burger right onto the ground, where two seagulls attacked the remnants. Christine grabbed her pop to stop it from flying off the table, and glared at me.

"WHAT GIVES, EDDY?" she cried indignantly. I didn't respond to her question, but began to run towards Caesar's Hotel and Casino. I heard my friends yelling for an explanation, but soon heard the footfall of three people somewhere behind me.

When I got to the boardwalk foyer of the casino, the girl was nowhere in sight. I figured she must've gone into the casino already. The first of my friends to catch up to me was Jacen, who was clutching a stitch in his side.

"Dude," he gasped. "What's the rush? You find something?"

I looked through the rotating doors of the casino, trying to spot the ginger haired girl, but couldn't really see much from where I was standing. I turned to Jacen.

"That girl from earlier on the beach," I began urgently. Jacen's eyebrows rose. "Dude," I continued, rolling my eyes at him. "Just _hear_ me out. I just watched her sneak into this casino! She's got to be a naiad or something, the way she controls water and…"

At this point, Christine and Paul had caught up. Paul raised a hand to interrupt me.

"I think you mean a _Nereid_, Eddy." Paul corrected. I looked at him incredulously.

"Does it really _matter_, man?" I sighed. Paul just made a face like, 'The more you know…?' Christine huffed.

"Well," she snapped. "We're not going to find _anything_ if we just stand around here looking in! Let's go inside and check it out!"

Paul shifted his feet awkwardly.

"Umm, Christine," he began slowly. "You have to be _at least_ 18 to go on the floor of a casino, you know; where the slots and other machines are. I _am_ 18, so its not a big deal, but…"

Jacen scoffed.

"Dude, we're _HALF BLOODS_," Jacen quipped. "We don't _have_ to be 18 to fight monsters and get sent on dangerous quests! I say screw rules about casino ages!"

Kid _had_ a point. I grinned and nodded at Jacen. Paul sighed and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger.

"Okay," he said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Let's go inside then!"

* * *

><p>There was only <em>one<em> word to describe the inside of the casino: _chaotic_. There were lights blazing in every color you could possibly imagine, and the sounds were varied in pitch from a low bass hum to a high pitched squeal, like a firework going off. Four kids with ADHD and _this_ environment, was a _bad_ combination. Jacen was nearly bursting at the seams to check everything out. Christine had him by the collar of his T-shirt, but even _she_ looked like she wanted to try out a few games. Paul _looked_ the most composed, but the constant drumming of his fingers and the constant movement of his eyes, kind of _ruined_ his cool, composed look. I was _no_ better. I wanted to play _EVERYTHING_! The slots, try my hand a blackjack: the whole ten-yards! My mom was always really against gambling, but she taught me how to play a few games when I was younger.

As we strolled around, we got some strange looks from the clientele. They seemed to be bewildered that we were _allowed_ to be down on the floor. The acrid cigarette smoke wasn't helping or moods however, and Christine nearly bit an older man's head off when he asked _why_ we were in the casino part of the hotel and if we were lost.

Eventually, we covered the whole casino floor, and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. My friends regarded me with skeptical looks, but I ignored them. I was _positive_ that I watched that redheaded girl from the beach come in here. I couldn't for the _life_ of me, figure out _how_ it was possible that we didn't run into her yet.

I sighed and faced my friends.

"I guess I was wrong," I said dejectedly. "My bad guys…"

"WHAT THE HECK IS THIS CRAP?" Bellowed a man on my right. He was sitting with a drink at a slot machine and glaring at the screen. We walked over and peeked carefully over his shoulder. At first, I didn't understand what he was upset about, but I soon realized the problem. The man had actually _hit_ the jackpot on the machine! It wasn't a lot, maybe like 150 dollars, but still! For some reason though, the machine _wouldn't_ give the man his money. He growled in irritation and stood up, gave us an annoyed glare and stalked off to get a representative or something to help. Not a moment later, another guy with his girlfriend, I assumed, sat down at the same machine and put a penny in the slot, and BOOM: a ticket for 150 dollars came out! The guy jumped for joy and embraced his girlfriend, who laughed with glee.

"HEY YOU!" I wheeled around to see the guy who was _originally_ sitting at the machine the new guy had just won on. "THAT'S _MY_ MONEY! DON'T ACT LIKE IT'S _YOURS_!"

The younger guy scoffed and said that he had won it fair and square. Apparently, the older guy _didn't_ agree, because an intense argument started up. It wouldn't have been that weird, except now; arguments and squabbles were breaking out _everywhere_! The security for the casino rushed past us in droves, yelling into walkie-talkies about fistfights and riots over by the blackjack tables, and one even mentioned an old woman who was assaulting a poker dealer with her walker!

I looked at my friends meaningfully.

"We've _got_ to find out if its Eris!" I said. Paul nodded.

"It'll be better if we split up. Christine," Christine turned to Paul who motioned to her. "Come with me, Eddy: you and Jacen check that side!"

Jacen ran over to me and together we dashed through the hordes of angry gamblers and frantic security, looking for the one person who could cause this much chaos.

It didn't take us long to find the person we were searching for. Up on the colonnade of the casino, sitting back against a column spectating (like it was some sort of entertaining show) sat the Goddess of Strife in all of her glory. She was an attractive blonde haired woman, whose beauty was marred by the wild, manic gleam in her eyes, and her crazed grin. She was wearing golden armor that sparkled in all of the lights from the casino floor, over a blood red chiton. She had golden sandals on, and was tossing a golden apple back and forth between her hands, cackling wildly.

"ALL OF THIS _CHAOS_!" she laughed manically. "IT'S SO _BEAUTIFUL_! FIGHTS, ANGER, DESPAIR! I _LOVE_ IT!"

Jacen sweat dropped beside me.

" Eddy," he said quietly. I looked at him. "Why _do_ you and I _always _have to deal with crazy people? Why can't we get someone level headed, and: I don't know: _sane_!"

I slapped my forehead. Of _all_ the times for Jacen to make jokes, he chooses now?

"Never mind that man," I said irritably. "We've got to distract her, otherwise, she'll cause _massive _problems for the mortals here."

I was about to call out to Eris, when I saw someone moving quickly out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw the ginger girl running up a staircase close to where Eris was sitting, with a determined look on her face. I gasped and pointed to her.

"Jace!" I cried. "That's the girl! Come on!"

Jacen and I sprinted full speed towards the girl, who was about halfway up the staircase now. I called out to her.

"Hey you!" I bellowed. "Hold up!"

The girl halted for a moment, turned around and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Oh, it's _you_," she said scathingly. "The mortal _stalker_ boy!"

Jacen sniggered under his breath.

"What _were_ you _doing_, Ed?" he laughed. I blushed and punched him in the arm, not breaking eye contact with the girl. Her blue eyes unnerved me.

"I'm _NOT_ mortal, and I'm _DEFINITELY NOT A STALKER_!" I cried in outrage. I took a deep breath and calmed myself down.

"Here's a question for _you_," I said to the girl, whose eyebrows rose. "What's a Nereid doing out of the ocean? I thought you _COULDN'T_ leave the sea?"

The girl blinked at me and stared. And after about a minute of that, she simply asked:

"Hey," she said softly. I perked up. "Are you? Are you an IDIOT?"

Jacen: _COULD NOT_ handle it. He started laughing _so_ hard, even Eris stopped her insane cackling to see what all the commotion was about. I blushed up a storm and felt my anger levels peaking.

"WHAT?" I raged. "LISTEN HERE! I'M JUST ASKING! ARE YOU A NEREID, OR A…?"

"She's a _Half Blood_ like you, sweetie." Said Eris, who floated down lazily from her perch on the colonnade. I blinked at her and scowled. The fact that the ocean girl was a half blood seemed to go right over my head. I was so irritated with trying to find the errant goddess.

"Eris! We've been trying to find you all day!" I bellowed. Eris blew her bangs out of her face and examined her fingernails.

"You and _everybody_ else, kiddo," she drawled. "But, I'm having too much _fun_! I'm not going back to Olympus! Not even if Zeus and Kronos are about to fight…_that_ would be a _MARVELOUS_ spectacle!"

I blinked at her. My dad and Zeus were going to_ fight_? Why?

"Why would they fight?" I asked, completely forgetting everything else in my curiosity. Eris cackled and floated towards me, examining me.

"I _SUPPOSE_ it could have something to do with the fact that your daddy hid your existence from Zeus, when he _SHOULDN'T_ have. Or _MAYBE_, it's the quest that you're currently on. To find the legendary Titan's blade…who can say?"

I staggered back from Eris in shock. I looked over at Jacen and the girl who were both looking at Eris, pale with shock. Finally, the girl spoke up.

"What about my father?" she snarled. "My dad _isn't_ the kind of person who'd get into a meaningless squabble with the King of the Gods!"

I looked at her confused. Was her dad an Olympian, then? Eris doubled over in malicious laughter.

"Your father is _just_ as _guilty_ as these two's fathers!" Eris cackled, pointing at Jacen and me. "All five of your fathers _hid_ you from Lord Zeus! He considers that _HIGH TREASON_! Don't blame me if you never make it to your goal! He'll smite you once you're out in the open together!"

She laughed even harder, no doubt imagining us as ashes on the ground. I gritted my teeth and unleashed Ananke. The girl's eyes widened and she grabbed my arm. I looked at her defiantly.

"What?" I snarled. She glared back at me.

"Are you _really_ an IDIOT?" she snapped back. "That's a _GODDESS _you're trying to fight! You _can't_ fight an immortal, _regardless_ of which one!"

I growled in frustration, but the girl was right. Eris' aura must've been causing me to lose my head.

"Jacen, Eddy!" called Paul. I turned to see him and Christine running up the stairs toward us with scrapes and minor bruises. All my anger drained out of me to be replaced with shocked concern.

"What _happened_ to you guys?" I cried, looking them over. Christine waved me off as I tried to get a better look at a bruise underneath her eye.

"We kind of got caught in the middle of a few scuffles, trying to stop mortals from killing each other…" she grumbled, crossing her arms. Paul nodded, and looked uneasily at Eris, who was now lounging in mid-air, watching our interactions with keen interest.

"So," Paul began casually. "You guys seem to have found our goddess…" Paul glanced beside me and noticed the ginger girl who was still clutching my arm.

"Umm, Eddy?" Paul asked, with a sweat drop running down his cheek. "Who's this?"

I watched as Christine glared at me, with an eyebrow raised as if she was saying: I _DARE_ you to have picked up _ANOTHER_ nature spirit. I gulped and replied.

"Umm, this is…?" I realized I didn't even _know_ the girl's name. Thankfully, she seemed to have cottoned on and interrupted me.

"My _name_ is Sydney Evans," she said quickly. "Half blood. Daughter of the Titan of Oceans and Water: _Oceanus_."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: We Capture A Discordant Goddess**

You know, I'm _not_ going to say that I was _shocked, surprised_, _OR_ _bewildered_ by Sydney's announcement. No really, I'm NOT. If you think about what I've been through in the last TWO days, it would just be a moot point. So, I did the one thing I could think to do in a situation like this:

"Oh, cool." I said casually. Sydney's eyes widened and my friends looked at me like I had just told them that when I grow up I want to be like Zeus.

"_OH COOL_?" Sydney snapped. "You're _not_ surprised that I'm the daughter of a _Titan_?"

I shrugged.

"I'm just kind of tired of over-reacting to _everything_ that's happened so far on this quest," I began. "I'm just going to start going with the flow. You're Oceanus' daughter? That would make you…"

Christine pointed at Sydney in shock. I guess _someone_ had to look that way.

"That make you our _fifth_ member!" she gasped. Sydney's eyebrows rose.

"My father _mentioned_ something about four others," she said softly, examining each of us with a keen eye. "So, it's _you_ guys? How'd you know to come _here_ to find me?"

Eris, who was tossing her golden apple back and forth again, yawned.

"You half bloods," she droned. "You have no sense of fate! You found each other because _fate_ ordained that you _would_! And _before_ you say it kiddos, I _already know_ that Hermes sent you here to give me a _warning_…"

We all tensed. Sydney looked at us in confusion. I sent her a look that said, 'We'll explain _later_!' She nodded and focused back on Eris, who had now floated down to the ground and stood defiantly.

"I can't _believe_ he wants me to _stop_ causing disruptions!" Eris whined. "That's _my_ gig! What am I supposed to do?"

Jacen tried for a winning smile at the Discord Goddess.

"Umm, you could _help_ us _find _the Titan's blade?" he tried. Eris snorted.

"No dice, sweetie," she spat. "_I DON'T DO FAVORS_."

Jacen shrugged and looked at me like 'Well, that was my approach, what's yours?'

I gritted my teeth at Eris.

"Look," I began heatedly. "I don't know about this fight you're talking about concerning my dad and Zeus, but I don't want _that_ to happen! _Please_, just tell us what we need to know, and we'll…we'll get out of your hair, and be on our way!"

Christine shot me a look of disdain, which I ignored, and Paul smiled approvingly at me. Eris however, cackled with venomous glee.

"_NOPE_!" she laughed. "Like I said: I don't do _FAVORS_! How about you kiddies get _lost_ and let me go back to my fun?"

Sydney clenched her fists and pointed accusingly at her.

"You call _this _fun?" she hollered. I was a bit taken aback by how mad she was. "You're hurting _innocent_ people! Mortals _aren't_ your playthings!"

Eris raised an eyebrow in what I assumed was a challenging expression.

"Oh?" she sneered. "What about _HALF BLOODS_ then?"

Eris caught her golden apple and turned it over in her hand. Then, with a wicked smirk, she threw the apple at us, where it exploded in a noxious cloud of green smoke.

I inhaled sharply, filling my lungs with the acrid fumes, and when the smoke cleared, I felt angry. Angrier than I'd _ever_ felt in a long time. I turned to face Jacen, who was _glaring_ at me ruefully.

"What?" I barked irritably. Jacen sneered.

"What yourself, Eddy!" he snapped back. I took a step toward him.

"You got a problem?" I snarled. Jacen grinned, and his hands ignited in flame.

"I did, but I've got a solution," he lunged for me. "I'm gonna burn you to a crisp!"

* * *

><p>Now, Jacen was the <em>last<em> person, (after my Mom), I could _ever_ see myself in a fight against, but something about that smoke must've skewered my thinking, because I found myself locked in heated combat with my best friend. I withdrew Ananke again, and took a wicked swipe at Jacen's head, which he rolled under. He sent a right hook at my gut, which I parried with the hilt of my blade, but the force of his blow sent vibrations through my body. I recoiled, and glared at him.

"Let's see how you dodge this!" I yelled, charging in with Ananke raised. Jacen prepared himself to deflect my attack and we were about to clash, when I felt someone grab me by the collar of my shirt. I barely registered Jacen getting hit by a wave of water, which fizzled out his flames instantly, and left him dazed and bewildered. I wheeled around to find the culprit who _nearly_ strangled me.

To find Christine, who was glaring at me _so_ hard, I thought that I'd _rather_ Jacen just burn me to a crisp than have to deal with the look she was giving me.

"_HONESTLY_," she snarled in outrage. "YOU ARE SO _STUPID_, _SICKLE BOY_! DON'T YOU _GET_ WHAT'S _HAPPENING_ HERE?"

There it was AGAIN. Sickle Boy. I blinked at her.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion. I struggled to make her let me go, but her grip was _strong_. She glowered at me even harder.

"Eris used her powers to hit you and Jacen with 'Discordance'. She _made_ you two want to fight each other!"

I blinked again and looked at Jacen, who was getting a similar, though less naggy explanation from Sydney. He returned my gaze and we both looked dejectedly at the floor.

"You mean to say," I began in a tense whisper. Christine looked down at me angrily. "That I tried to _kill_ my best friend?"

Christine's eyes softened considerably. She retained her vice grip on my shirt but didn't seem to be as mad now.

"Yeah," she replied softly. "But, Sydney and I recognized what was happening _right_ away, otherwise things could've been _worse_."

I nodded in defeat and gave her a small smile.

"Thanks." I said sincerely. Christine blushed and looked away from my gaze quickly.

"Idiot," she grumbled. "I'm just looking out for my friends! We have each other's backs, don't we?"

I smiled widely at her.

"Yeah."

Jacen and Sydney made their way over to us and Jacen and I apologized for trying to literally _destroy_ each other. We shook hands and then asked at the same time:

"Wait. Where's Eris?"

Christine sighed and pointed to the casino floor, where I could see Paul trying to fight his way through a small mob of enraged casino-goers and security, which all seemed to be congregating around the Goddess of Discord. Eris was standing on top of a large slot machine, conducting the chaos like she was the maestro of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. I groaned and looked at my friends.

"So," I began slowly. "How do you propose we get to her?"

Christine clicked her tongue and crossed her arms.

"I don't know, _Sickle Boy_," she snapped. "Can you fly over people?"

I furrowed my brow in annoyance and retorted:

"_Why_ do you keep on calling me _Sickle Boy_?" I growled. Jacen snickered and Sydney giggled a bit. I ignored them and looked at Christine, who cocked an eyebrow.

"Let's see," she said sarcastically. "Maybe because you _are_ a boy, _and _your weapon _is_ a sickle?"

"Ha, ha!" I replied, rolling my eyes. "Look: we _need_ to go help Paul. He's going to get trampled by that crowd!"

That seemed to snap Christine out of her smug state as the four of us hurried down the stairs and into the pandemonium Eris was causing on the casino floor.

* * *

><p>When we reached Paul, it took <em>both<em> Jacen and me to pull him out of the frenzied mob that was trying to halt his progress towards Eris. I got a good wallop to the stomach, and Jacen was now sporting a busted lip from an enraged poker dealer. We staggered away from the crowd and ducked behind the blackjack tables, where Sydney and Christine were hiding.

Paul took a few deep breaths and smiled at me.

"Thanks," he said, wiping some sweat off of his brow. "That was _intense_. So," he examined Jacen and me with a disapproving look. "You and Jacen done trying to _kill_ one another?"

I'm pretty sure I blushed in shame and Jacen did something similar. Paul chuckled.

"Eris IS the Goddess of Discord," he said matter-of-factly. "I _know_ she delights in starting fights: look at the Trojan War, for example!"

Christine scoffed.

"I'm going to stop you right there," she interrupted, shaking her head. "As enlightening as that history is Paul, we have a crazy, pandemonium-loving goddess on the loose!"

Sydney nodded in agreement to Christine's remark.

"We _need _a plan guys," she said. We all looked at her and she blushed demurely. "I mean; we _can't_ fight her directly! We have to play to her weaknesses! Every immortal has one. Anyone know what Eris' might be?"

Jacen raised his hand like he was _still_ in Mr. P's theatre and music class.

"Umm," he began slowly. "_Rotten _golden apples of doom?"

Sydney glared daggers at him. Jacen paled and fell silent. Sydney looked beseechingly at the rest of us. I shrugged.

"I have _no_ idea," I said with a sigh. I glanced over the top of the blackjack table and saw two guys in the mob wrestling ferociously on the floor, while Eris clapped and cheered them on. "Eris seems to be in her element; I have _no_ clue how to stop her!"

Christine closed her eyes in thought. A moment later she opened her eyes and looked at Sydney with a hopeless expression.

"As much as it pains me to say it: I agree with Eddy," she said. I glared at her; she ignored me. "She really _is_ in her element, _maybe_ if there was some way to get her away from other people…"

Paul, who had been silent the whole conversation, perked up.

"I've got a plan, you guys!" he beamed. We all turned to him expectantly. He grinned mischievously.

"Eris _does_ have a weakness. We just have to _exploit _it."

* * *

><p>Even I had to laugh to myself at how brilliant, yet <em>simple<em> Paul's plan to take down Eris was. All five of us, crept around the slot machines and angry, rioting tourists, slowly making our way towards Eris. When she noticed us approaching she laughed in wicked delight.

"Oh! You're all back!" she gushed maniacally. "Have you finally realized that you should just go bugger off, and find _another_ goddess to annoy?"

I looked at Jacen and grinned.

"Not really," I said with a yawn. "I was _actually_ wondering why you're the _GODDESS_ of _DISCORD_. Making a few people in a casino riot is your idea of chaos? That's pretty weak."

Jacen chuckled and added:

"Yeah, it _is _weak." He laughed. "_EPICALLY WEAK_, even!"

Eris' nostrils flared, and her eyes narrowed menacingly.

"What did you JUST say, kiddos?"

I heard Christine laughing with Paul and Sydney on the other side of us, two slot machines over.

"So she made Eddy and Jacen fight! _Big deal_!" Christine snorted. "_ANYONE_ could make _that_ happen!"

_All right, that was a little low Christine_, I thought angrily, but I kept up my teasing grin and façade of aloofness.

"She's right!" I laughed. I elbowed Jacen who looked at me with a bit of a hurt look. He immediately understood that I was _kidding_, and began to laugh heartily again.

"She thinks she's hot stuff because she started the Trojan War!" Paul bellowed, pretending to double over in laughter. Sydney wiped a fake tear from her eye.

"But _ACTUALLY_," she corrected. "That wasn't _technically_ Eris! It was the _combined_ jealously of Hera and Athena at Paris of Troy for choosing Aphrodite's bribe over theirs that started the war!"

Eris' face turned as red as Sydney's hoodie.

"I'M _WARNING_ YOU TOOTS!" she growled. We all began to laugh harder. I decided to throw another point in:

"What did she do to instigate that?" I chuckled. "Oh right! She just threw one of those _stupid_ golden apples into the throne room in Olympus! What did the apple say on it, Jace?"

Jacen almost ruined the _whole_ plan, when he abruptly stopped laughing and looked extremely pensive for a moment. We all looked at him nervously. He grinned and laughed.

"Beats me!" he sniggered. "But it must've been pretty _STUPID_!"

Good save buddy, I thought, mentally sighing in relief. Christine decided to keep the ball rolling:

"What was it you said earlier Eris? That _we_ don't understand _ANYTHING_ about Fate?" she shot mockingly. Eris' eyes narrowed until they resembled slits. "What if I told _you_ that the Trojan War was _FATED_ to happen, and that you throwing that apple wouldn't have mattered either way?"

_THAT_ seemed to be the breaking point for the goddess. She roared in outrage, and all of the frenzied mortals stopped in their tracks and passed out where they stood, landing in heaps of limbs and piled on one another. Eris floated down from her perch, like she was a character from Dragonball Z.

"I _WARNED_ YOU ROTTEN KIDS!" She snarled dangerously. "I _WARNED_ YOU TO GO _BOTHER_ SOMEONE ELSE! YOU WANT TO _SEE_ WHAT THE GODDESS OF DISCORD CAN _DO_? WELL, _YOU'VE GOT IT KIDDIES_!"

Eris began to power up some kind of attack that looked like a really menacing-looking ball of doom, and laughed wickedly at us. Before she could complete her attack though, she was encased in a ball of swirling water, courtesy of Sydney.

I blinked back my surprise and looked at Sydney. She was focusing hard, and I guess trying to hold a goddess with her powers _wasn't_ an easy feat. I unleashed Ananke, and Christine unleashed her spear and we approached the errant goddess, who was struggling in her aquatic prison.

"LET ME OUTTA HERE YOU _ROTTEN_ BRATS!" Eris hollered in outrage. "I _SWEAR_! YOU'LL _RUE_ THE DAY YOU CROSSED ERIS, _RUE IT_!"

Paul sighed and rolled his eyes, and approached her, stopping a few feet from her.

"Look," Paul said solemnly. "You _have_ information that we _need_. If you just tell us what we need to know and agree to stop harassing Hermes' deliveries, we'll have you out of there and on your way. We don't have _ALL DAY_."

Something about Paul's business-like tone unnerved me. The guy could be pretty intimidating, even _without_ a weapon!

Eris snorted and tried to spit at Paul. Christine bristled with outrage, which made me angry.

"What are you gonna do, toots?" Eris chided, smirking snidely at Paul. Paul cocked an eyebrow and pointed at Ananke in my hands.

"You know what that is, Eris?" Paul said nonchalantly. Eris glared at my weapon and scoffed.

"A _cheap_ imitation of Lord Kronos' sickle." She spat. I felt Ananke hum with outrage. I gripped the hilt and slowly, but surely Ananke seemed to calm itself down to a low grumble. Paul just smiled and continued:

"Eddy's blade, Ananke," Eris' eyes widened. "I see you know about it," Paul said smugly. "Is made out of _TITANIC SILVER_. You know what _that_ means, don't you?"

Eris' eyes began to widen considerably more now. Paul nodded seriously.

"That's right," he said slowly. "That means: it can _HARM_ you."

I gasped in shock. Ananke could _harm_ immortals? I looked down at my blade and up at Eris, who seemed to be reassessing how big of a threat I was now, with Ananke in my possession. Paul cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Eddy," he warned. "I said: _harm_, not _kill_. Immortal _IS_ immortal after all, but Eris here surely doesn't _want_ to get cut up, do you?"

Eris _tried_ (keyword: _tried_) to put on a brave face, but she faltered and hung her head dejectedly. I glanced at Christine who looked somewhat alarmed by Paul's casual dismantling of Eris, while Jacen looked on like Paul was amazing. He leaned over to me and whispered:

"It's like watching OCSI!" he gushed. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's OCSI?" I asked. I got the feeling I _didn't_ want to know. Jacen beamed.

"Olympic Crime Scene Investigation!" he replied. I was _right_. I _didn't_ want to know, but now I _did_.

I glanced at Sydney, who was still concentrating on the water bubble Eris was encased in, but she looked pale. I thought for a moment that maybe she was tiring from using her powers, but then, looking at her eyes, I saw that they were full of fear! Fear of Paul! I walked up slowly towards Paul and placed an arm on his shoulder.

"Dude," I said softly. "That's _ENOUGH_. Let's just have her answer our questions, and let her go."

Paul looked like he was _about_ to argue, when I gestured my head towards the others and he looked at them. His face paled and he hung his head dejectedly. I patted him on the back consolingly.

"Sorry man," he sighed. "I…I just got carried away. It _WON'T_ happen again…"

I smiled.

"Alright dude," I said. "Now, we should _probably_ cover one loophole, before we let Eris go."

Paul looked at me in confusion. I grinned and stepped up to Eris, who glowered at me, with Ananke slung over my shoulder.

"Before we let you go Eris," I began commandingly. I felt like a Badass. "You _have_ to _swear_ on the River Styx to answer our questions honestly, and to leave Hermes' business _ALONE_."

Eris' eyes narrowed and she struggled again in her prison, but Sydney just increased the density of the water. Eris struggled for several moments longer, but eventually sighed and nodded.

"I Eris," she began hesitantly, "Here by swear on the River Styx that I will answer these pipsqueaks questions honestly, and to leave that dunderhead Hermes' business _ALONE_!"

There was a boom of thunder that we could even hear from inside the building. It was like Zeus' but seemed more…Ancient and serious, somehow.

I nodded happily and looked at Sydney, who looked _more_ than happy to release her water sphere, which soaked the floor of the casino and dropped Eris ungracefully on her butt. Christine giggled, and I laughed. Jacen ran over to help out Sydney who blushed at his thoughtfulness and helped her stand. Paul stood beside me and grinned.

"Good idea, Eddy," Paul complimented. "Looks like you remembered the golden rule of dealing with immortals: _Always_ make them swear on the River Styx!"

I beamed at him and then turned back to Eris, who was struggling to her feet. She crossed her arms defiantly, and glared at us.

"_WELL_?" she snapped. Her posture and tone reminded me of Christine so much, I was a little taken aback!

"Umm," I began awkwardly. I looked at Paul for assistance. He stepped up beside me and narrowed his gaze at Eris.

"Firstly: what's all this nonsense about a fight between Lord Kronos and Zeus?" Paul asked.

Eris blew her bangs from her face and rolled her eyes.

"I _wasn't_ kidding sweetheart," Eris said impatiently. "Zeus is _furious_ that the Elder Titans hid the existence of their kids from him. He thinks that Lord Kronos and his brothers are trying to use _you_ guys to start a revolt against Olympus. Your quest: ain't helping things either!"

I paled. I looked at the others who all looked uneasy as well. Paul cleared his throat and schooled his expression into a neutral face and added:

"Why is the quest not helping things, then?"

Eris chuckled disdainfully and smiled incredulously at us.

"Are you _kidding_ Hon?" she said derisively. "This '_quest_' of yours is probably the _whole_ reason Zeus is so paranoid! Every immortal knows that the Titan's Blade isn't a laughing matter! It's been hidden away for a _reason_! It has the power to cripple gods and Titans; _any_ immortal that it cuts! And the mere idea that a bunch of snot-nosed brats…!"

Jacen cut in:

"Hey! _Watch_ it lady!" he snarled. Eris glared at him.

"Like I was saying," she continued glaring pointedly at Jacen for good measure, "The fact that your daddy's sent you on this quest for _that_ blade is making _EVERYONE_ who matters on Olympus nervous! Zeus thinks that Lord Kronos is going to overthrow him!"

I scoffed and crossed my arms.

"My dad and his brothers _handed_ over their thrones _to_ the Olympians!" I argued. "I'm not saying I understand my dad _AT ALL_, but it seems pretty stupid to try and play 'take backs' after, I don't know: millennia of _not_ caring about ruling!"

Eris shrugged and looked at me.

"Listen sweetheart, I'm just telling you what I _know_," she said plainly. "I'm just a minor Olympian: I don't get to hear _everything_!"

Jacen snorted.

"Bet it doesn't stop you from _trying_ to though." He muttered. Eris beamed at him.

"You're not such a snot-nosed _brat_ sweetie!" she gushed. "You're _ABSOLUTELY_ right!"

Paul cleared his throat and looked at the goddess solemnly.

"This blade," he began, "the Titan's Blade? Where can we find it? We don't have a lot of time!"

I fixed my gaze on Eris, and I could tell my friends were looking at her as well. She glared at Paul for what seemed like forever, before she sighed and said:

"In the West," she spat. "Don't ask me _where_!"

I closed my mouth. I was _about_ to ask just that. Paul narrowed his eyes at her.

"The West isn't a very _clear_ answer Eris." He said quietly. Eris raised her eyebrows.

"_You_ dorks made me _swear_ on the Styx!" she cried. "I can't _lie_! That's _all_ I know about its' location!"

Paul sighed in irritation and rubbed his eyes with his pointer finger and thumb. Suddenly, Sydney walked up beside me and asked:

"Well, if you don't _know_, how about pointing us in the direction of someone that _does_?" she asked fairly. Paul blinked at her and nodded.

Eris seemed to _hate_ the idea of helping us further, but the Stygian oath we had her bound by was apparently doing its' job.

Eris sighed and answered:

"Look for Hecate, the Titaness of Magic. She's who you _want_."

Paul cocked an eyebrow in suspicion.

"_Why_ Lady Hecate?" he asked. Eris glowered at him.

"She's the _Goddess of Lost Things_!" Eris snarled. "The Titan's Blade is what I would consider _lost_, so who better to _help_ you than her!"

Jacen nodded sagely. Have I mentioned that I _cannot_ take him seriously when he _does_ that? Christine walked up to me and said:

"Hecate _isn't_ an easy goddess to find. She's always shifting, moving with the Mist. She _is_ the Goddess of the Mist after all. _Where_ would we find her?"

Eris, who was listening, scoffed.

"That was a good summary of Lady Hecate toots," she mocked. Christine huffed indignantly at her. "But, Lady Hecate _has_ a home base where she likes to operate from. I'm sworn by _another_ Stygian oath that _forbids_ me from telling you _exactly_ where it is, but I can give you kiddos a _general_ location…"

We all looked at her in expectation. Eris grinned and began to glow.

"The Windy City brats! That's where you'll find her!"

Eris began to float off the ground and glow brighter. When she was about ten feet in the air, she wheeled around and glowered down at us.

"And hear this, Titan Bloods!" she bellowed. "I will _NOT_ forget how you disgraced me today! Mark my words: I'll be causing mayhem for you: you _better_ believe it!"

And with a sound like a cracking whip, Eris vanished into thin air. I watched the spot the Strife Goddess vanished at for a few moments and then turned to face my friends, returning Ananke into necklace form as I did so.

"Well, we know where to go," I said simply. "Anybody have any ideas on how to get to Chicago?"

Nobody said anything for a while. Suddenly a voice spoke up:

"Well, youz guys did a great job! I _guess_ I can help youz guys out one more time!"

We all wheeled around to see the very person who sent us to Atlantic City in the _first_ place. Hermes.

AN: Hey guys, let me know what you think of the story so far! Enjoy it? Let me know. something you'd like to see? I'm ALL ears.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Hey guys, I really want to thank you guys for reading my story. Special shout out to: _Kifo Entiegon_ for leaving some great advice and reviews! As for the rest of you lovely people, let me know what you think of the story! PM me, or just fire off something down at the bottom if you feel like it! Love hearing from you guys! **

**Chapter 15: We Make A Choice And Get A Warning**

We all stared at the God of Messengers in surprise. Well, not _all_ of us. Jacen was nodding his head like he expected Hermes to show up _exactly_ at this point in time. I turned to him with a questioning look. Jacen beamed at me and explained:

"It's like in a video game Eddy," Jacen gushed, with a twinkle in his violet eyes. "When you complete a mission, the person who _gave_ the mission, _always_ appears after the mission is over!"

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. Paul sighed resignedly, and rubbed his face with his palm.

"Jacen," he moaned. "A quest _isn't_ like a video game; it's _serious_ business!"

Jacen pouted and crossed his arms defiantly.

"Sure it is!" Jacen argued. "We defeated Eris, got Hermes' message delivered, and I don't know about you guys…"

Jacen's face grew deathly serious. We all focused intently on him.

"I feel like _I've_ leveled up!"

We _all_ groaned at Jacen and turned to Hermes, who was chuckling good-naturedly.

"Umm," I began carefully. "Lord Hermes, what are you doing here?"

Hermes strode towards us and shrugged.

"It's like young Jacen said," he began, with an approving nod at Jacen, who beamed. "The mission giver _does_ always appear _after_ his mission is completed!"

Christine and Sydney rolled their eyes.

"Not you too!" Christine whined. Hermes just laughed. He turned back to me and grew more serious.

"I'm _actually_ here for two things," he began. "The first is a decision that youz guys _need_ to make."

Paul's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"And what choice would _that_ be?" he asked warily. Hermes turned to him and smirked.

"I need to know if youz guys are going to continue your quest for the Titan's Blade," he replied casually. We all tensed. Hermes chuckled. "Calm down: _I'm_ asking because if you do want to continue, I'll provide youz guys with a way to Chicago!"

I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding and smile slightly. Then, just as quickly, it disappeared. I realized something.

"Wait." I interrupted. "You said IF we want to continue our quest! Why _wouldn't_ we see this thing out to the end?"

My friends all nodded in agreement to my comment, and we all faced Hermes who sighed and rubbed his chin in a thinking gesture.

"Well," he replied awkwardly. "If youz guys decided _not_ to continue, I was told to tell youz guys that I was to _personally_ transport all of youz back to Camp Half-Blood, with a _full_ pardon from my father, Zeus."

I clenched my fists in outrage. That sounded a little _too_ much like a _bribe_ of some kind. I was about to tell Hermes that, but Sydney beat me to the punch.

"Lord Hermes," Sydney said defiantly. "Are you trying to _bribe_ us into _not_ seeking out the Titan's Blade?"

Hermes' eyes twinkled.

"I believe your friend there," Hermes gestured to Paul who straightened up at once, "mentioned that I'm _impartial_ to the quest your on. However," Hermes' eyes darkened. "My father _isn't_. Youz guys are treading _dangerous_ waters with him. IF you decide to continue, you're going to have to put up with _anything_ my father decides to toss your way, to keep you from your goal."

Christine gulped uneasily and glanced at Paul who was looking at Hermes with an unreadable expression. Paul sighed and looked at the rest of us.

"What should we do guys?" he asked simply. I was a bit taken aback by the question. Even though it wasn't ever said: we all assumed that Paul was like the _leader_ of our group, seeing that the guy had already _completed_ a quest. For him to ask all of us for our opinions was kind of odd. Jacen crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. Christine glanced at Sydney who looked slightly uneasy. I looked at Paul, who glanced at me expectantly. I took a deep breath and said:

"We've come _too_ far to stop now. We need to get to Chicago and talk to Lady Hecate. I'm not going to let Zeus push me around."

My statement seemed to dispel the doubt in my friend's minds, because not a moment later they all nodded in agreement, and we turned to face Hermes. His eyebrows rose and he nodded hesitantly.

"Alright," he said, clapping his hands together. "I feel obligated to warn youz guys though. My father will _not_ make things easy for you. You've essentially waged war on him."

My confidence wavered. _That_ did _not_ sound good. I glanced at Jacen, who had a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. He returned my uneasy glance. Paul looked at me and smiled.

"Have some faith Eddy," Paul said reassuringly, clapping me on the shoulder. "Do you _really_ think our dads are going to _let_ Zeus just have free shots at us?"

I blinked, and then smile slightly. Paul nodded and turned back to Hermes.

"So we've confirmed that we _will_ continue on the quest," he said matter-of-factly. "What was the second thing that you needed to tell us?"

Hermes looked slightly uncomfortable after Paul finished his question. I couldn't for the life of me understand why though.

"Well, the second thing is," he began slowly. "I have a message for Ms. Sydney here."

Sydney perked up and stepped forward timidly.

"What's the message?" she asked. Apollo scratched his head awkwardly.

"Well, your pops, Oceanus wanted me to tell you that…well, umm."

We all looked at the god in confusion. Sydney tilted her head curiously.

"What did my father want to tell me?" she insisted. Hermes coughed and cleared his throat.

"Well," he continued. "He wanted me to tell you that he _appreciated_ your prayers to him for the last few days but, he doesn't want you to make them anymore _unless_ you're in a fresh body of water."

Sydney blushed as red as her hoodie and looked at her feet. She mumbled:

"I assume Lord Poseidon was getting my prayers as well…?"

Hermes blushed and nodded. I _had no clue_ why it was such an awkward conversation. So what? Poseidon heard her prayers! I couldn't understand _why_ that was such an issue unless they were embarrassing or something like that. The thing that _really _got my attention though was the fact that Sydney's dad actually _talked _with her! I decided to file that in the back of my head for now; I'd ask her for details later on how _that _happened. Needless to say, Sydney avoided eye contact with all of us as she turned around from Hermes and stood next to Christine. Christine gave her a concerned look and I heard Sydney mutter 'that she'd tell Christine about it later on'. Jacen sniggered, which earned him a glare from Christine, but he kept laughing anyway.

I shared a glance with Paul, who looked _just_ as bewildered as I did. Hermes cleared his throat again and said:

"Well, that's all I needed to tell youz guys," he began. He reached into his suit jacket's inside pocket and withdrew five tickets.

"These will get youz guys on the train leaving from Atlantic City Rail Terminal to Philadelphia, where you can change trains to go to Chicago."

He handed the tickets to Paul, who placed them in the front pocket of his backpack. Hermes glanced at his wrist, where I noticed a watch, and his eyes widened. He let out a hearty chuckle and looked at us again, mischief in his eyes.

"Oh, and I'd hurry if I were youz guys," he laughed. "Because your train leaves in 15 minutes!"

* * *

><p>I don't think I've <em>ever<em> sprinted as hard as I did to make it to the train terminal with my friends, in my ENTIRE life! We made it, of course, but we were all sweating buckets by the time we handed over our tickets to the surprised woman at the ticket kiosk in the station. She gave us all a perplexed look, which we ignored in favor of gulping down as much air as we could to revive our oxygen deprived lungs.

We dragged ourselves aboard the train and took seats in the first coach with available seating. Jacen and I sat by each other, while Paul collapsed in the booth across from us. Christine and Sydney spared Jacen and me a scathing look, glanced at each other and giggled and went off to Gods know where. Jacen raised an eyebrow and turned to me.

"Should I even _ask_ what _that_ was about?" he asked skeptically. I shook my head disdainfully and replied:

"No man," I sighed. "_No_."

Jacen laughed and patted me on the back.

"You know," he began earnestly. "I thought that you and Christine were doing _a lot_ better with _not_ jumping down each other's throats, until Maple came along!"

I groaned. Jacen _always_ knew _exactly_ what to say to pour salt in a wound. I growled at him.

"Seriously dude?" I challenged. Jacen shrugged.

"I'm just pointing out the obvious," he defended. "Besides, do you like her or not? I can _never_ tell what's going on between you two!"

I plopped my head against the cool window glass of the train, and ignored Jacen's question. In my head though, I was _definitely_ thinking about it. Did I _like_ Christine? If she wasn't so rude to me _all the time_: yes. But, seeing the way she'll be nice to me one minute, and then, flip around and hate my guts? Definitely not! And Maple? That wasn't even _fair_. My dad is the patron of _all_ nature spirits! It made sense that Maple would probably like me, seeing that I'm the son of Kronos! It's not like I _asked_ her to flirt with me!

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts it took me a moment to realize that the train had already began to leave Atlantic City's station. I glanced at the window and took one last glance at the large casinos and ocean as we made a sweeping bend, before the cityscape disappeared from view. I sighed and straightened up in my seat, to overhear Jacen and Paul in a discussion.

"Why Chicago though?' Jacen was asking Paul. Paul stretched his arms above his head and shrugged.

"I don't know," he replied. "In my experience, immortals usually choose a location that holds some significance to them personally. Maybe there's something in Chicago that Lady Hecate is attracted to?"

Jacen looked slightly skeptical at that, but accepted Paul's explanation. He turned to look at me, and when he realized I was listening he grinned.

"Eddy!" he beamed. "So good of you to join us!"

I grinned and shook my head. I looked at Paul, who was smiling wryly at Jacen's remark.

"Hey Paul," I began. He turned to look at me. "Since we have time, you think you can tell us about the quest you went on before?"

Paul's eyes widened.

"Well, I suppose…" he replied hesitantly. However, Jacen was having _none_ of that.

"STORYTIME!" he declared, pointing a finger at Paul. Paul laughed and nodded.

Paul told us about his first quest, which involved his task to defeat the Lernaean Hydra. Paul, and two other half bloods: Michael Schaffer of Hephaestus cabin (who we met) and another boy: Trevor Douglas of Hermes cabin, where asked by Hermes to retrieve a lost shipment that went missing off the coast of Alabama. After some research on Hermes Express' part: they found out that the shipment was _eaten_ by a hydra, _the_ Lernaean Hydra, which the Greek hero Heracles defeated. Paul told us how they encountered monsters, immortals, and a well-meaning Cyclops on their journey to the South, and eventually found the hydra. It was defeated by: some planning on Paul's part, an _awesome_ catapult built by Schaffer, and ammunition in the form of radishes (which hydra's _hate_ apparently) from Trevor Douglas. Paul went on to explain that the Lernaean Hydra was _deathly_ allergic to radishes, so it sort of just…died when it ingested them, but threw up the package they were sent to retrieve. Trevor Douglas was _actually_ the one who claimed the hydra's tooth, as it was the _only_ thing that didn't dissolve into monster dust. Plus, he was the _only_ one _willing_ to wade through the gunk and muck of the swamp where they fought it to retrieve it.

The story explained how Paul was already familiar with Hermes, and made Jacen and I feel a bit better. I felt like I knew Paul much better after the story and for the rest of the train ride to Philly, the three of us continued to talk about various things. Paul asked Jacen and me to recount our fight with the Chimera, and our journey on the sun chariot of Apollo, which Jacen was _all_ too happy to recount. I had had to interrupt him a few times when he added things that _didn't_ happen: like saving mortals in the gym from the Chimera, and how he gave Zeus the middle finger when he tried to knock us out of the sky the first time.

* * *

><p>The sun had begun to set as we pulled into 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Paul told us that we needed to switch trains, but we had at least two hours before the Chicago bound train was leaving. Jacen and I glanced at each other and grinned.<p>

"Grub time!" we exclaimed at the same time. We practically began to drag Paul down the station platform until we heard Christine yell out.

"_Honestly_, Sickle Boy," he bellowed. "You're so dense! The food court is the _opposite_ way!"

I groaned and turned around to see Christine smirking smugly at me, and Sydney laughing heartily at my annoyed expression. I noticed that the two girls seemed 'chummier'. Jacen raised an eyebrow at them.

"Well, well, well," he replied with a smirk. "You two look like you're BFF's now! Did you have some nice 'girl time'?"

Sydney's eyes narrowed at Jacen and she scoffed.

"Shut up, Flame Head." She quipped. Jacen's jaw dropped and I burst out laughing.

"Looks like you're stuck with a nickname now too, Jace!" I cackled. Jacen flushed angrily and pointed menacingly at Sydney who wore a satisfied grin.

"Just you wait!" he declared. "I'll find a nickname for you!"

Sydney just rolled her eyes at him.

"Whatever," she sighed, "C'mon Crissy, let's go get some food. The boys will catch up!"

I exchanged a glance with Paul and Jacen. Paul chuckled.

"Crissy, huh?" he said whimsically. "I can't _believe_ Christine lets her call her that!"

I glanced at Christine's retreating back and then back at Paul as we walked after them.

"Why's that?" I asked curiously. Paul scratched his head.

"Well," he began slowly. "Christine's mom called her that, at least that's what she told me, and well…"

Jacen egged Paul on.

"And…?" Jacen added. Paul lowered his voice to a harsh whisper.

"Christine and her mom are on _bad_ terms. That's the reason why she stays at camp year round like me."

I stopped walking. Paul turned back to me and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't say anything about Eddy," Paul warned. "Christine's a strong girl. She doesn't talk about her family much, but she seems content _not_ to."

I frowned and began to walk again.

"Are you sure?" I questioned. Paul raised an eyebrow. "I mean; I asked her about where she was from and she snapped at me. That doesn't sound like she's not to concerned…"

Paul opened his mouth to reply when Christine's voice cut through the air a few yards ahead of us.

"Will you guys _hurry up_?" she called. We decided to put our conversation on hold as we jogged to catch up with Sydney and Christine.

* * *

><p>We entered the food court, which was still somewhat busy for this time of day, but I assumed that, like an airport: people traveled <em>regardless<em> of the time of day, so maybe it was _always_ like this. We decided to mix it up a bit and all decided to get Mexican food from a Chipotle. Jacen complained about the food being too bland, and Sydney went on to tell us that where she's from, food is _too_ spicy.

"Where are you from anyways?" Jacen asked, after taking a large gulp of Mountain Dew. "Your accent's southern, I can tell that much…you sound like one of those 'Southern Belles'.

Sydney blushed indignantly and crossed her arms.

"I'm _nothing_ like those ditsy bimbos!" Sydney retorted. She scoffed. "This is the problem with you _northerners_! Ya'll just _assume_ that all of us Southerners are like that! How'd you like it if I just _assumed_ things about you?"

Jacen grinned in challenge.

"Well, you know what they say about _assuming_…" he snickered. Sydney uncrossed her arms and adopted a curious look.

"What?" she asked. "What do they say about assuming?"

Paul and I groaned. If there was _one_ thing that I learned from being best friends with a kid who LOVES comedy, it was this: _NEVER SET YOURSELF UP TO BE THE BUTT OF HIS JOKE_.

Jacen was practically splitting his face in half from grinning.

"Well, when you _assume_," Jacen began, "It makes an…"

"_ANYWAYS_!" Christine interrupted. "Is anyone else concerned about what Lord Hermes told us back at the casino about Zeus and the Olympians?"

Jacen looked like Christine had just slapped him. She might as well have, because interrupting one of Jacen's jokes was a _capital_ offense in his book. Sydney seemed to forget about Jacen's joke as soon as Christine asked the question, which served to only make Jacen even _angrier_.

"Well," Sydney began slowly. "It wouldn't be so bad if we had some idea of _which_ Olympians we need to be wary of!"

I nodded in agreement, pointedly _ignoring_ Jacen, who was giving me a look that _clearly_ said: 'can you _believe_ that Christine interrupted _me_?

"Well, I think I have _some_ idea of who we can _at least_ rule out." I said. Everyone, (with the exception of Jacen: who was furiously ripping apart his burrito in an indignant tantrum) turned to look at me.

"Lord Apollo, Lady Demeter, _and_ the other Titans." I continued. Paul nodded in agreement and added:

"Good deduction Eddy," he said, which made me feel slightly proud of myself. "It's good that you omitted Lord Hermes: we can't be _sure_ if he's _really_ trying to help or not."

Christine sighed and rapped her fingers on the tabletop.

"It's all well and good to know who our _allies_ are," she began, "but we should try to figure out _whom_ we need to look out for!"

Sydney nodded in agreement. Paul scratched his head.

"Well, let's just automatically assume that Poseidon and the Silent One are with Zeus…"

"Oh…" interrupted Jacen, who stared up from his demolished burrito. "Who's the 'Silent One'?"

Paul shivered slightly and pointed a lone finger down towards the floor. Jacen's face paled and he nodded slowly in understanding.

"Also," Paul continued. "I'd like to assume that Lord Ares, Dionysus, and _maybe_ Hephaestus are on Zeus' side as well."

Sydney cocked her head to side.

"Why only _maybe_ Hephaestus?" she asked. Paul sighed.

"Lord Hephaestus and his parents have a troubled relationship. His mother, Lady Hera tossed him off Olympus for being 'ugly' as they claim. He's fought against his father many times too."

Sydney nodded in understanding. Christine leaned forward and grabbed my wrist, glaring at me. _Before_ you say anything, I _assumed_ she did it because I was trying to help myself to her basket of tortilla chips.

"Nice try, Sickle Boy," she snapped, and then turned to Paul. "Should we assume that Lady Hera and Lady Hestia would side with Zeus as well?"

Paul thought about it for a moment and then shrugged helplessly.

"Who can say?" he answered. "I'm sure that as the Goddess of Marriage, Lady Hera _would_ side with her husband, but the history of disagreement between the King and Queen of Olympus is _long_. Lady Hestia? I don't know too much about. She usually keeps to herself…"

Christine nodded and slapped my hand away from her chips again. _I_ _WAS SO CLOSE_!

"What about Lady Aphrodite, or Lady Artemis?" asked Sydney, who was helping herself to Christine's tortilla chips, to my chagrin. Paul shrugged even larger this time.

"I have _no_ clue what they'd do in this kind of situation," Paul said helplessly. "Lady Artemis is _never_ clear on her intentions, and _don't_ get me started on Lady Aphrodite's _modus operandi_!"

We all stared at Paul in confusion. He sighed in exasperation and clarified.

"_Modus operandi_," he said slowly. "It's like: her _method_ of doing things?"

We all nodded in understanding, and Paul placed his head on the table in defeat. Jacen patted his back understandingly.

"I _feel_ you man," he commiserated. "People don't get _my_ jokes, and we don't understand _your_ lingo at times."

I suddenly remembered something that Lady Aix had told me about Lady Aphrodite and said:

"Speaking of Aphrodite," I said hurriedly. Paul perked up, as did everyone else. "Lady Aix told me that Aphrodite has her eye on me! What's _that_ all about?"

Paul's face paled and he shivered ever so slightly. _okay_, I thought in worry, _that can't be good_. I looked at Christine, who wouldn't meet my eyes, and had a furious blush on her face. Sydney was giggling and stealing glances at the two of us, which I found _annoying_, and Jacen was sniggering at me. _Great_.

I used Christine's distraction to snag a handful of chips, which seemed to snap her out of her flustered state. She lunged for my hands but I was too quick. I stuffed a few chips in my mouth and chewed in satisfaction. Christine glared daggers at me. I swallowed and turned to Paul, who was _just_ coming out of his pale shock.

"So," I continued. "What's the deal, man?"

Paul shook his head.

"I really _don't_ know," he answered, "but, if Lady Aphrodite has taken an _interest_ in you, I'd be careful…"

"That's what Lady Aix said as well!" I replied. I gulped. Hopefully, this wasn't going to end _badly_.

Paul watched me for a moment before glancing at the food court clock.

"We've got another hour left," he informed us. "We've still got a good amount of supplies, and since Jacen retrieved that roll of cash, we're not strapped for money anymore…"

Sydney and Christine glanced at each other and grinned mischievously.

"Let's see if we can find any clothing stores!" they squealed. Paul smirked, but shook his head in the negative.

"We can't go wandering off in a city we don't know," Paul advised. "Besides, your both titan bloods. You know how many monsters you'd attract?"

Both girls pouted, but didn't argue. Jacen stretched and looked around at the other denizens of the food court. He lowered his voice to a hiss and said:

"You know," he began. "Speaking of monsters, how come we haven't seen any since New York?"

I blinked. Jacen was _right_! Now that he mentioned it, I found it a bit _odd_ that we hadn't run into anything that wanted to eat us since yesterday! And, if what Paul was saying about being titan bloods was true: wouldn't _five_ titan bloods draw the attention of _every_ monster in like: a ten-mile radius?

Paul narrowed his eyes at Jacen and hissed in reply.

"Jacen," he began warningly. "Here's some advice: _never_ tempt Fate. _EVER_. Consider us _lucky_ that we haven't, and _hope_ to the gods that it stays this way!"

Jacen smiled nervously and nodded.

* * *

><p>We filled the last hour of waiting with exploring the train station. It was done in an Art Deco style, or at least: that's what Paul told us. In the station's lobby where maps of downtown Philadelphia, and various maps that pointed out various train routes. I tried to find one that led to Chicago, but all of the colors and small lettering made my head spin, so I gave up.<p>

We all boarded our train and sat together in the middle-most coach. Luckily, the train's booths were _huge_, so it was easily comfortable for all five of us to sit together. I was a little uncomfortable at the fact that Christine decided to sit to the right of me, separating me from Jacen, who was on her left. I couldn't get the conversation that Jacen threw at me about my feelings for Christine earlier out of my head. I glanced at her, only to find her jade eyes find mine at the same time. I felt my face flush and quickly turned away. I glanced at Paul, who was sitting across from me next to Sydney. He gave me a knowing look and I glared at him, making him laugh slightly.

As the train rolled out of the station we were all silent, except for Jacen, who _insisted_ on trying to tell the rest of his '_assuming_' joke to Sydney. Christine however, was having _none_ of that, and kept telling him to keep his bad jokes to himself. After that, Jacen did a very believable impression of a five-year-old throwing a silent tantrum.

As the hours drifted on, I found myself slowly starting to doze off, but a bump from the tracks was enough to keep me awake. I turned to find Christine's head on my shoulder as she slept quietly. I felt completely flustered, but I decided to play it cool, besides: I noticed Paul (who was reading a book on monsters…_big surprise there_!) currently had Sydney's head on his shoulder, and didn't seem bothered in the least. I nearly laughed at loud, when I turned to see that Jacen was currently drooling on Christine's shoulder. Man, was he going to _get it_ when she woke up and discovered the miniature lake on her camp shirt!

I thought about what Zeus could possibly throw at us to impede our journey. I knew better than to tempt Fate, but I couldn't help but trust in the fact that my dad might be enough to make Zeus think twice before actively trying to _stop_ us from completing our quest for the Titan's Blade. And even if he did attack: surely, we'd be ready to face _ANYTHING _he tossed our way, right.

There was a loud '_thunk, thunk'_ on the compartment roof overhead. As if something had just landed heavily on the roof, _almost_ as if it was…

I smacked my forehead.

Eddy, I thought. You just _had_ to tempt Fate, _didn't_ you?


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Jacen Shoots and Scores**

I paled and looked frantically across the table at Paul, who narrowed his eyes at the ceiling.

"That _can't_ be good…" Paul moaned. He closed his book with a snap, and slipped it into his backpack, and shook Sydney awake. She blinked blearily at him, and then blushed. She pushed away from him faster than a speeding bullet and jumped to her feet.

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked. Paul waved her off.

"It's _fine_, Sydney," he consoled, calming her down. "We've got trouble."

I shook Christine awake, and got the same treatment that Paul had gotten from Sydney. Although there were _two_ differences: One, I _didn't_ get an apology. And two: Christine punched me in the arm, _hard_.

"_SERIOUSLY_?" I bellowed in outrage, waking Jacen up who snorted and wiped the drool from his face. Christine glared at Jacen and slapped him hard on the back of the head.

"JACEN!" she screeched, as she noticed the puddle of drool on her camp shirt. "THIS IS _DISGUSTING_! _WHY_ DID YOU DROOL ON ME?"

Jacen yawned and shrugged.

"Oh _you_ know," he sighed, rubbing the back of his head where Christine had smacked him. "Thought your shirt could use a wash? SERIOUSLY THOUGH: I CAN'T _CONTROL_ WHAT I DO WHEN I SLEEP, WOMAN!"

"_ENOUGH_!" Paul roared, and the two of them fell silent at once. We all looked at Paul, who was now on his feet, listening intently. The other mortals in our compartment all seemed flustered and alarmed. There was a lot of scared whispers and shouting happening, so I was confused at WHAT Paul hoped to hear over the noise.

"There's _something_ on the roof," he muttered, turning to us. "And I'm willing to bet that it's _not_ friendly."

Jacen gulped.

"Why am I _not_ surprised by that?" he groaned.

There was another '_thunk_' and everyone froze. As I looked up at the ceiling I almost jumped in fear when I noticed four hooved-shaped dents on the ceiling of the compartment. I wheeled to look at Paul who paled.

"It's _definitely_ a monster of some kind!" Paul said. He didn't _need _to say that of course. We all could _grasp_ that much. Christine tried for a weak smile.

"Maybe, it's Chiron?" she tried meekly. Paul shot her a glare.

"Chiron _wouldn't_ land on a train roof and stomp around like a wild animal!" Paul retorted. Christine sunk a bit. Sydney glanced up at the ceiling and frowned.

"Then _what_ is it?" she asked. I had the _same_ question bouncing around in my head. Paul shook his head in resignation.

"Like I said: it's a monster of some kind," he said. "But I've got _no_ clue as to what."

As he said it, there was a flash of golden light from outside our window and we all wheeled around to look at it. When the flash died down, we saw the one person we were hoping to _not_ run into again _any_ time soon:

_Eris_: the Goddess of Discord.

* * *

><p>Jacen palmed his face and moaned.<p>

"FOR THE LOVE OF…!" he began, but was interrupted when the entire train lurched, knocking us all off balance, and began to abruptly slow down.

Eris cackled in glee.

"I _TOLD_ YOU ROTTEN KIDDOS THAT I'D BE BACK!" She cried sadistically. "LORD ZEUS HAS GIVEN ME A GREEN LIGHT TO _STOP _YOU GUYS, AND THAT'S WHAT I _INTEND_ TO DO!"

I wheeled around to try and gauge if the other mortals were even _cottoning on_ to the fact that the train had begun to slow down, only to find that all of them were _asleep_! Eris noticed my distraction and commented:

"Even though _I_ don't care about mortals being in the crossfire," she began with a roll of her eyes, "Lord Zeus _does_. He _forbid_ me from harming _anyone_ except you kiddos, so I put them all to sleep!"

Jacen groaned again and muttered:

"Well, that was _so_ nice of you!" he spat.

Eris cackled wildly again, and appeared before us. I withdrew Ananke and pointed it at her. Eris' eyes narrowed.

"Careful _Oedipus_," she snarled. I tensed slightly, making her grin. "You _might_ want to save your strength for your _actual_ opponent. I know better than to try and fight that _blade_ of yours directly, so I brought a _friend _to deal with you!"

Suddenly, with a sound like an explosion going off, the ceiling of the train compartment was torn open and a large creature jumped down, crushing a row of unoccupied seats across from us. We all dove out of the way, while Eris floated through the newly made hole in the ceiling laughing in glee.

"Have _fun _with my minion, the _Ethiopian Bull_!" she cackled, and vanished in another flash of golden light. Paul paled.

"_Ethiopian Bull_?" he stammered, backing up several paces. "That's _not_ good. Not good _at all_!"

Christine glared daggers at him.

"You _don't_ say?" she spat sarcastically. "I think it's a _delightful _gift!"

Jacen chuckled and gave Christine an approving smile, as he lit his hands up in flame.

"Glad to know at least _someone_ besides me has a decent sense of humor!"

Christine smirked as she withdrew her fold-up spear, and with a flick of her wrist, elongated it to full length.

I glanced at Paul who was _frantically_ flipping through his book for information on the monster, I guessed. My eyes met his and he said frantically:

"Buy me some _more _time!"

I nodded and glanced at the rest of my friends, who looked ready for action. Well, almost everyone. Sydney seemed lost.

"What's wrong, Sydney?" I asked. She paled and looked at me in panic.

"I don't know what _good_ I'll be in this fight!" she squeaked. "I _NEED _a source of water to _use_ my powers! On land, I'm pretty much _useless_!"

Paul paled even more and nodded quickly.

"Fall back with me," he advised. Sydney ran to his side. Paul looked back at us.

"I'm going to dig up some info on our _friend_ here," he said as he gestured at the snarling bull. "I'll go as fast as I can: keep it _distracted_!"

I nodded slowly and gulped. The bull was _big_. The thing barely fit inside the compartment, and I realized that this was going to be a close-quarter fight unless; we could somehow get _off_ the train to fight it.

The bull had red fur, and silver-blue yes, that looked completely filled to the brim in outrage. _Not good_, I thought. On its head was a pair of nasty-looking horns that moved slightly with each twitch of its head. Its teeth were pointed, like fangs; and we got a _full_ look at just how many it had, seeing that the thing was baring all of them at us hungrily. Christine tapped me on the shoulder.

"_Eddy_," she hissed urgently. I turned to her. She pointed between the bull's legs at an emergency exit at the end of the compartment.

"If we can get _pas_t the bull, we can take the fight to a more _open_ area! Any ideas?"

I gripped Ananke and turned to Jacen.

"We don't have the luxury of _trying_ Christine," I said dejectedly. "Jacen: _can _you blast us a way outside?"

Jacen glanced at the bull, which took a menacing step toward us and paled.

"I'm _on_ it!" he bellowed. The flames on his hands went from a red-orange, to a blazing white.

"I've _never_ tried this before," he muttered. "_STAND BACK, GUYS_!"

Christine and I fell back to the window on our side, which was the furthest we were going to be able to go, and Jacen shot his flames at the opposite side of the compartment, blowing a huge, gaping hole to the outside. He wiped his forehead and turned to us with an incredulous look on his face.

"WHAT ARE YOU _WAITING_ FOR, AN _INVITATION_? MOVE IT!" He bellowed.

I didn't need to be told _twice_. I grabbed Christine's wrist and pulled the both of us as fast as _possible_ out of the train. It was _a_t _leas_t a five-foot drop to the ground, and I stumbled a bit as I landed, but Christine pulled me to my feet. I turned to see Paul and Sydney leap out after us. Jacen began to ignite his hands _again_ to fire at the bull, but Sydney cried:

"_NO JACEN_!" She bellowed. "You'll catch the _whole_ compartment on fire! The mortals will have _no_ way out!"

Jacen nodded, and leapt out of the compartment. Just in time too, because I guess the bull got tired of _waiting_ to kill us and charged at him. Thankfully, Jacen got away by the skin of his teeth, but now the bull was outside with us. I glared at Paul, who was _still_ flipping wildly through the pages of his book!

"THAT INFO ON THIS _THING_ WOULD BE _GREAT_ RIGHT ABOUT _NOW_, MAN!" I hollered. Paul glared back at me.

"I'M _WORKING_ ON IT!" he snapped. Christine tossed her spear at the bull, only to find that it had _no_ effect whatsoever. It bounced harmlessly off the bull's fur and clattered to the ground.

"WORK ON IT _FASTER_!" she screamed, dodging out of the way of the bull. I sliced with Ananke; only to send a trail of sparks up when it made contact with the bull's hide. I paled. It was _one_ thing to be _imperviou_s to _Celestial Bronze_, but _even_ TITANIC SILVER! I MEAN: _COME ON_!

Apparently, the bull didn't _appreciate_ being attacked. It charged at me, and I _barely_ leapt out of range of it. I rolled to my feet, only to stumble on the hillside we had leapt out of the train onto. A _great_ place to have a fight: right?

I ducked as a fireball flew over my head and hit the bull point blank. I wheeled around to _glare_ at Jacen who paled at almost hitting me, _again_.

"IS THIS GOING TO BE A _HABIT_, DUDE?" I roared at him. He chuckled nervously.

"My bad!" he replied. Christine, who had just retrieved her spear, _tried_ to flank the bull, only for it to wheel around and smack into her. She flew backwards and rolled a few yards.

"_CHRISTINE_!" I bellowed. I ran for her, but the bull _wasn't_ having it. It cut off my approach and snarled at me. I clenched my teeth in outrage. What if Christine was seriously _hurt_? I couldn't waste my _time_ with Mr. Bull here.

"_MOVE IT_, UGLY!" I snarled. The bull pawed the ground, ready to charge. Suddenly it roared in indignation as a whip made from water smacked it hard in the butt. I turned to see Sydney a ways down the hill, next to what appeared to be a swamp. She glared at me.

"GO HELP CHRISTINE _STUPID_!" She hollered. I nodded gratefully at her and juked the bull, whose attention was now focused on Sydney. I watched from the corner of my eye as Jacen leapt at the bull from its blind side and _punched _it full on in the face. I paled and couldn't understand _why_ he'd do something so _reckless_, until I watched as the bull flew a good ten yards away from where Jacen's fist made contact. Super strength, I mused, as I continued running. I wouldn't mind having _that_ power.

I reached Christine a few moments later, to find her sitting up at least, shaking her head in a daze. I crouched beside her.

"Hey _Warrior Girl_," I said softly. She narrowed her eyes at me. "You alright?"

"_Warrior Girl_?" she sneered. I chuckled.

"If you get to call me _Sickle Boy_, I'm going to call you _Warrior Girl_!"

I helped her to her feet and she grasped my shoulder for support. I saw that she had a slight limp.

"You're in _no_ condition to fight with that!" I admonished. Christine glared at me, and dug into her pocket. She withdrew a small square of ambrosia and chomped down on it. After a few seconds of chewing, she swallowed hard, and gave me a smirk.

"Don't worry _Sickle Boy_," she quipped. "If I really _am_ a Warrior Girl, then I can't let a little thing like a sprained ankle _stop_ me, can I?"

I chuckled and shook my head in amazement. Christine really _was_ a piece of work.

The bull by this point in time, was now back on its feet, trying its utmost best to run Jacen through with its horns. We sprinted full speed back towards the fight.

"_EDDY, CHRISTINE_!" hollered Paul. We wheeled to look at him as he made his way toward us with his book in his grasp.

"I've got _information_!" he continued. "The Ethiopian Bull can _only_ be killed by getting _trapped_ in a pit! Magical weapons of _any_ kind won't hurt it. Its _invulnerable_ to elemental attacks…!"

I heard Jacen scream in indignation as he ran past us.

"_SERIOUSLY? AGAIN_?" he roared as he rolled underneath the bull's leaping charge and continued running. We all sweat dropped.

"_Anyway_, we need to lead it to that swamp down the hill, and trap it! It will lose its' invulnerability if it gets trapped!"

I nodded and shared a quick glance at Christine.

"Christine," I said urgently. "Go let Sydney know about the plan!"

She nodded, and before running off, turned back to me with a fierce blush and scowl.

"_Okay_," she spat. "But, be _careful_ Sickle Boy!"

Paul smiled wryly at me, and I rolled my eyes at him as we ran toward Jacen, who was running like a chicken with its head cut off from the bull's onslaught.

"Jace!" I bellowed. He glanced in my direction and ran full pelt towards Paul and I. Which was _bad_, considering that he had the bull _right_ behind him.

"INCOMING!" Jacen roared. Paul and I dove to either side as Jacen ran up the hill with the bull behind him. He ran towards the train, and _right _before impact, leapt to the side. The bull (who I assumed _couldn't _change directions easily mid-charge) went barreling right into the train with _SO MUCH FORCE_; it actually _lifted_ the train car a few feet off the tracks!

Jacen ran over to us and tried to catch his breath. Paul clapped him on the shoulder with a grin.

"Great job Jacen," he complimented. Even through his gulping of air, I heard Jacen laugh dryly.

"I heard _something_ about a plan, I think?" Jacen gasped. Paul nodded and quickly told Jacen about the Ethiopian Bull's weaknesses. Jacen nodded and straightened up as the bull _finally_ pulled its horns free of the train car and shook its head furiously in a daze.

"Well, it looks like _ugly_ over there is free," Jacen joked. "Let's trap a bull, shall we?"

The plan would've gone a lot _better_ if the bull would just _go_ where we wanted it. You'd think that leading an enraged monster down a hill into a swamp would be a piece of cake right? _WRONG_. It was as if the bull was _aware_ of what we were _trying_ to do. It kept charging at us, and leading us _away_ from the swamp! Finally, Jacen got fed up.

"THAT'S _IT_! I'VE _HAD_ IT WITH THIS CRAP!" He roared in outrage. He positioned himself in front of the bull, which charged him and then slid underneath it, as it continued to charge down the hill. The bull seemed to realize that it _neve_r made contact, and _tried_ to stop itself by digging its hooves into the rough ground to stop its charge. _But_, that was where Jacen played his ace.

He ran after the bull _ful_l speed and cried:

"AND JACEN DARKLIGHTER GOES FOR BROKE, HE _SHOOTS_!"

With that he did something I'll _NEVER_ forget: My best friend, the son of the Titan Hyperion, and the most _unpredictable_ person I've _ever_ met…

_Punted_ a two-ton Ethiopian Bull in the butt, down the _entirety_ of the hillside toward the swamp.

I watched in _astonishment_, as the bull (who looked _extremely_ confused) sailed through the air, and toward Sydney, who gathered up a large wave of swamp water and enveloped the bull _completely_ and hurled it _straight_ down into the murky water. Jacen, who was now _rolling_ from the momentum he gained, splashed into the swamp and surfaced, screaming:

"AND HE _SCORES_, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

I _couldn't_ help it. I fell on the ground with Paul, laughing so hard; I could feel tears running down my cheeks. Of _all_ of the crazy things: Jacen _punts_ a bull to defeat it? _PRICELESS_!

Christine waded into the water and stabbed the bull in the side with her spear, and it exploded into golden monster dust. Together, Jacen and Christine pulled themselves out of the swamp, smelling _terrible_, but laughing. I clapped Jacen hard on the shoulder.

"_That_ my friend," I said grinning wildly. "Was _easily_ the most _epic_ thing I've_ EVER SEEN!"_

Jacen flushed and laughed, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Thanks Eddy!" he beamed. "It _seemed_ like the thing to do at the moment!"

We all laughed and headed back up the hillside to the train.

* * *

><p>We were just about to our compartment from the hill, when Eris appeared in a wrath before us, and pointed accusingly at Jacen.<p>

"_YOU_!" She shrieked. "WHAT HAVE YOU _DONE_?"

Jacen crossed his arms defiantly and shrugged.

"I _punted_ your stupid Ethiopian Bull to its doom," he shot back with a smirk. "So sue me!"

Eris' nostrils flared indignantly.

"YOU'LL _PAY_ FOR THIS! I _SWEAR_! YOU'LL…!"

I shoved Ananke's blade point right in her face.

"And _you'll_," I snarled irritably. "GET _LOS_T, BEFORE I _AQUAINT_ YOU WITH ANANKE!"

Eris paled _considerably_ and floated out of reach of my blade and scowled.

"You're _lucky_ that it took almost _all_ of my magic to summon a creature as _fearsome_ as the Ethiopian Bull toots," she hissed. "Or else, I'd blow you to _smithereens_!"

"_Whatever_," I spat. "Go back to Olympus and cry about it."

Eris huffed and vanished in a cracking whip sound and a golden flash.

I turned to my friends, who were all looking at me incredulously. Christine spoke up first.

"Sickle Boy," she stammered. "_Please_ don't antagonize our enemies anymore than we _need_ to!"

I scoffed and grinned at Jacen who gave me a high five, and looked at Paul and Sydney who were chuckling.

"Can't help it, Warrior Girl," I teased with a smirk. "Being a rebel is _in_ my blood!"

Christine rolled her eyes and smiled. _That was new_, I thought. We got back on the train to find that everyone who was put asleep by Eris was now slowly coming to. Just as we sat down, we heard the conductor's voice over the intercom.

"Umm, sorry about that folks," he apologized. He sounded a bit dazed. "We're getting reports that compartment 11 has been breached, so we're going to have to ask _all_ passengers who are in there to move before we get underway. Upon arrival in Chicago, we'll launch a _full_ investigation into _how_ that happened, and refund your tickets. Again, sorry about the delay."

Jacen leaned over to me as we exited the compartment and sat down in another one further up.

"I'd _love_ to hear how _that_ investigation goes!" he snickered. I snorted.

The train began moving again after about ten minutes and we continued on our way. As we went, I only had one thought in my mind:

I _still_ couldn't believe Jacen _actually_ _defeated _the Ethiopian Bull with a well-placed _punt_. And he was worried he _wouldn't _be strong enough to _contribute_ on the quest! I shook my head in disbelief. What an _EPIC _way to defeat a monster.

**AN: Thoughts? Leave a review and let me know if you enjoyed the chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: We Get Directions From A Gas-Passing Mammal**

As the train rolled on through the night, I felt my eyes begin to feel heavier and heavier. I nodded off slightly, and woke up with a twitch as my face pressed up against the cool glass of the compartment window.

"Get some _sleep_ Sickle Boy," Christine admonished. She was sitting across from me, next to Sydney and Paul.

"We'll wake you up if _anything _happens." She added quickly, because I sent her a look that clearly said: But, what if we get attacked? I nodded blearily and closed my eyes, leaning back into the comfort of my seat. It wasn't even ten seconds before I was out like a light.

* * *

><p>And, <em>maybe<em> sleep _wasn't_ such a _good_ idea after all, I thought as I awoke in yet _another_ vision/dream.

I was surprised to find that I _wasn't_ in the creepy void with Mr. Space-Eyeball though. Instead, I was in some kind of throne room. The _first_ thing I noticed about the room was its _size_. There were _exactly_ 12 thrones all organized in a reverse U shape. I vaguely recalled that the cabins at Camp Half Blood were arranged the same way…

_OH CRAP_, I thought frantically. _I'M IN THE OLYMPIAN THRONE ROOM! _

I managed to calm myself down and quickly ducked behind a large marble column to the side. A good thing I did too, because just as I managed to hide, two large bronze doors opened, and I watched as a figure walked through the doorway and into the throne room. I gasped.

It was _Eris_!

Eris strode towards the center of the room, completely oblivious to the fact that I was hiding no more than thirty feet to her right in the shadow of the column. I _prayed_ she'd stay oblivious. When she reached the center of the room she knelt and said:

"My Lord," she said reverently, which struck me as _odd_. Eris: _respectful_?

"I have returned from my mission…" She said in a weaker voice.

Just as she finished her sentence, there was a flash like lightning and a man appeared on the largest, and center-most throne.

He was tall, imposing, and looked _really_ buff. He had long, shoulder-length black hair with a gray-and-black neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were a brilliant electric blue, and he had a very proud face. He was wearing a dark blue pinstriped suit, which struck me as odd. But I supposed if Hermes _could_ wear a suit, _wh_y _couldn't_ Zeus?

That's right, you heard me _correctly._ I was looking at the _KING OF OLYMPUS: ZEUS_.

I nearly _tried_ to make a break for it, but Zeus didn't seem to _notice_ my presence either, because he sighed and glowered down at Eris, who quivered slightly.

"WHY DO I GET THE FEELING YOU HAVE _BAD_ NEWS FOR ME, MY DAUGHTER?" He said in a deep, commanding voice. Eris squeaked and bowed her head in shame.

"That's," she stammered. "Because the Titan bloods _defeated_ the Ethiopian Bull…I…I was _sure_ they _wouldn't_, but…"

I watched in a kind of terrified awe as static electricity seemed to flicker across Zeus' beard, and his blue eyes narrowed.

"THEY _DEFEATED_ IT?" He roared. "HOW? IT'S _INVUNERABLE _TO _ALL_ ATTACKS!"

Eris whimpered more, and I saw her glare at the floor.

"The son of Lord Hyperion," she snarled, clenching her fists in rage, "He _kicked_ the bull into a swamp, where Oceanus' daughter _trapped_ it! You know the bull can _only_ be defeated by…"

"BY BEING _TRAPPED_ IN SOME SORT OF A PIT, YES." Zeus finished with a frustrated sigh. He stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"AND WHAT OF THE _OTHER_ TITAN BLOODS?"

Eris clicked her tongue in distaste.

"The daughter of Lord Iapetus was the one that _finished_ the bull with her spear once it was caught. Lord Koios' brat was the one who figured out the bull's weakness and informed the other brats, and Lord Kronos' kid…!"

Zeus' eyebrows rose in interest.

"YES," He said, leaning forward. "WHAT _DID_ MY HALF-BROTHER _DO_ IN THE FIGHT?"

Eris tried not to _glower_ at the King of the Gods, but I could see the mad _rage_ bubbling in her expression.

"He _threatened_ me with that _accursed_ sickle of his!" Eris bellowed. "How did that brat get his hands on such a _powerful_ weapon?"

Zeus' eyes narrowed and he leaned back in his chair idly. His eyes roved the whole of the throne room and he grumbled.

"MY SON, APOLLO _GAVE_ THE WEAPON TO THE BRAT," he spat. "FATHER _NEVER_ TRUSTED MY BROTHERS OR ME TO WIELD IT, SO I AM AT A LOSS AS TO _WHY_ HE GAVE IT TO A BOY WHO _ISN'T_ EVEN AN IMMORTAL!"

I nearly stumbled. Was _Zeus_, the _King_ of the Gods: _pouting_?

Eris got to her feet and crossed her arms.

"Anyway," she huffed. "The brats are on their way to Chicago to make contact with Lady Hecate for information about the location of the Titan's Blade!"

Zeus gripped the armrests of his throne so hard; they nearly splintered.

"I AM AWARE OF THIS," He grumbled. "HERMES HAS _MUCH_ TO ANSWER FOR, _AIDING_ THE TITAN BLOODS. HOWEVER, THEY WILL SOON FIND THAT _KNOWING _THE LOCATION OF THE BLADE IS _USELESS_, AS IT IS GUARDED VERY WELL."

Eris nodded in agreement and cackled.

"Very _true _Father," she chuckled. "Do you want me to try and stop them again?"

Zeus shook his head in the negative.

"NO," He replied. "THEY NOW KNOW TO _EXPECT_ YOU ON THEIR JOURNEY."

Eris pouted a bit and kicked at the ground. Zeus rolled his eyes slightly.

"I WILL HAVE TO THINK OF ANOTHER WAY TO STOP THEM. I'D STRIKE THEM ALL DOWN WITH A THUNDERBOLT, BUT I DO _NOT_ WISH TO INCUR MY FATHER'S WRATH, _ALONG_ WITH MY UNCLES. A WAR BETWEEN OLYMPUS AND OTHRYS WOULD _NOT_ BODE WELL FOR US."

Eris scoffed.

"Why _not_?" she whined. "War is _my_ favorite!"

Zeus _definitely_ rolled his eyes this time and glared at Eris, who paled at his stern expression.

"THEN BY _ALL MEANS_, MY DAUGHTER: GO TO WAR WITH THE TITANS. EVEN YOUR _IMMORTALITY_ WILL _NOT_ SAVE YOU FROM MY FATHER'S _RAGE_!"

Eris shut up quickly after that, and Zeus nodded to himself in satisfaction.

"GO SUMMON THE OTHER OLYMPIANS," Zeus commanded. "WE MUST HOLD COUNCIL AGAIN, ABOUT THIS QUEST THE TITANS HAVE ISSUED!"

Eris nodded and vanished in a flash of gold light. Zeus sat on his throne a moment longer and then, without warning: locked eyes with me, even though I was hidden from his view behind the column. His eyes flared in outrage and he summoned a thunderbolt and tossed it in my direction, and then…!

* * *

><p>I awoke with a start as Jacen shook me violently. I gulped and looked around frantically. I was still on the train. All of my friends were looking at me in concern. Jacen let go of me and scanned me apprehensively.<p>

"Yo, Eddy," he said carefully. "Are you _alright_? You're shaking, man."

I glanced down at my hands to see them shaking slightly. I clenched my fists and they calmed down. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and looked at all of my friends seriously.

"I just had _another_ vision," I informed them. They all tensed and looked harder at me. Christine sat forward.

"Was it about that _eye-ball _again?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No, it was about Zeus, listen…"

It took me a while to explain my whole vision to my friends, but when I finished, everyone was silent for a good while. Jacen gulped and turned to look at me.

"Are you _sure_ that Zeus told Eris _not_ to come after us again?" he asked. I nodded and he sighed in relief.

"Good. I _hate_ that goddess. She's _nuttier_ than _squirrel poop_."

I chuckled nervously and glanced out the window cautiously. I didn't want Eris to randomly reappear and declare vengeance for Jacen's cheek. Paul sighed and rubbed his forehead in agitation.

"Each time we take a step forward on this quest, it feels like the Olympians are _always_ a few more steps _ahead_ of us!"

Christine looked at Paul in sympathy and patted his shoulder.

"That's immortals for you though," she commiserated. Sydney nodded sagely and added:

"If Lord Zeus is _really_ convening with the other Olympians, maybe our Olympian allies can slow him down a little bit?"

Sydney looked so hopeful, I felt bad. In my head I just _couldn't_ see Zeus backing down from delaying us in any way he possibly could. I groaned and rested my head against my seat.

"I just _wish_ our dads could _help_ us somehow!" I sighed. "Or, at least give us a way to _meet_ with them! It would be so much _easier_ if we knew _why_ this Titan's Blade is _so_ important!"

Jacen nodded in agreement.

"I feel you, Eddy," Jacen commented. "So far, the _only_ lead we have is Mr. Space-Eyeball's issue with us _getting_ to the blade, according to your last vision! And we don't even _know_ what _that_ guy's deal is!"

We sat in an uncomfortable silence again for a while until Paul spoke up.

"Well," he began slowly. "We _know_ that Lady Hecate will have _some_ idea hopefully about the location of the Titan's Blade…Who knows? She might even tell us _why_ our fathers are so adamant about us retrieving it!"

I glanced at Paul and nodded slowly.

"I have _no_ clue what Zeus is going to try and throw at us next," I said with a shrug. "But, according to him, he _won't_ kill us himself, because he doesn't want our dads to declare war on him."

Christine snorted.

"Well, _that's_ comforting," she spat. "I'd rather get struck by a lightning bolt, than get run through by all of these monsters, and then eaten!"

Sydney gasped.

"Don't _say_ that, Crissy!"

Christine sighed and sat back in her seat with her arms crossed.

"Sorry Syd," she apologized. "I just don't understand _why_ Zeus is so _Hades-bent_ on us NOT completing our quest! Can't our dads just _tell_ him that we're _not_ trying to overthrow him?"

Paul, who was looking out the window at the dark landscape passing by, turned and shook his head resignedly.

"The thing _is_ Christine," Paul replied. "We don't _know_ what we need to get the blade for…as far as _we know_, our fathers _do_ want to _overthrow_ Zeus."

Christine frowned and didn't respond. I figured she was taking in what Paul just said. I was too. What _if_ my dad really _did_ want to overthrow Zeus and retake his throne?

Jacen sat forward and added:

"What about the prophecy?" he asked. We all turned to look at him. Paul cocked an eyebrow.

"What _about_ it, Jacen?" he asked. Jacen shrugged, looking at all of us in turn.

"Well," he continued. "Maybe if we _try_ to decipher it, we can understand what's going on?"

We let that sink in for a moment. Jacen _had_ a point. In fact, I hadn't really thought too much about our prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi since we received it. I was too busy fending off monsters and one crazy goddess. Sydney perked up.

"You know," she began. "This is the _first_ I'm hearing of a prophecy. Can you let me in on it?"

I blinked at her. That's right! I thought. Sydney _wasn't_ there to hear it! I looked at Paul who nodded solemnly and began to recite the prophecy word for word.

"_Four shall depart upon this day, an ally to join you along the way. A mystical blade known only to some, a challenge that one hero must overcome. Upon the conclusion, a choice shall be made, a union is broken that cannot be saved. A debt will be paid, while a price is incurred. The wrath of the heavens shall surely be stirred_."

Sydney asked Paul to repeat the prophecy one more time, and when he was finished, she sat in contemplation for a moment before she said:

"Well, the first part is pretty clear: 'an ally to join you along the way'. That's me, I'm guessing?"

Paul nodded. Sydney went on:

"We know that the '_mystical blade_' is the Titan's Blade," she continued. "But, the next part _doesn't_ make sense to me…"

Jacen sat forward.

"A challenge that one hero must overcome?" he asked. Sydney nodded. Jacen bobbed his head in agreement.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. That 'challenge' could be _any_ number of things. And it doesn't help that we _don't_ know _who_ it's referring to."

Christine sighed and uncrossed her arms.

"That part of the prophecy doesn't concern me _nearly_ as much as the rest does," she said darkly. "I want to know what it means about 'a union is broken that _cannot_ be saved', and all of that."

I nodded gravely. The rest of the prophecy _was_ pretty dark sounding. '_A debt will be paid, while a price is incurred. The sleep of the heavens shall surely be stirred.'_

_The sleep of the heavens shall surely be stirred_?

I gasped, and everyone turned to me urgently. I looked at Jacen.

"Jacen!" I said frantically. "Remember the vision we shared at my house? That eyeball said: _If I wake now_…?"

Jacen's eyes widened.

"Yeah!" he replied, cottoning on. "Could that space-eyeball be who the prophecy is referring to?"

Paul's face grew deathly pale.

"You guys _did_ say that the eyeball seemed to be waking up, but do you really think that it could be about _it_?"

Sydney's face showed just how LOST she was.

"_Space-eyeball_?" she questioned. We nodded absent-mindedly. She pouted. "WHAT ARE IN THE WORLD ARE YA'LL _TALKING _ABOUT?"

We apologized for confusing her and caught Sydney up to speed about the mysterious space-eyeball visions, Jacen and I had. Sydney frowned.

"I understand a _little_ better now," she replied slowly. "And the whole thing about the eyeball being in _space_ could explain 'the heavens' but: _what_ is the eyeball then?"

Paul nodded in agreement.

"Sydney's got a point there," Paul said emphatically. "The place where the eyeball _is_ could be the 'heavens' the prophecy is referring to, but we still don't know the importance of the eyeball, itself…"

Christine shivered slightly in her seat.

"Can we _stop_ talking about that creepy eyeball," she whimpered. "It's _grossing_ me out!"

Jacen smirked and chuckled slightly.

"You haven't had the pleasure of _seeing_ it, Christine!"

She glared at him.

"And I _HOPE I NEVER DO_!" she snapped back in reply. I cleared my throat.

"Well, _I've_ seen it _TWICE_!" I added. Christine's face paled and she looked like she was going to be sick. Paul interrupted:

"Look," he began, trying to get us back on track. "It doesn't _matter_ who's seen it or not: the fact is, until we know _what_ it has to do with the prophecy, we can't worry about it!"

"I can _still_ be _grossed_ out by it though." Christine muttered defiantly. Paul rolled his eyes at her and continued:

"For the moment, let's focus on _finding_ and _talking_ to Lady Hecate. It's our best lead right now, and honestly: the _less_ we have to think about now, the _better_."

I nodded. You _couldn't_ argue with _that_.

* * *

><p>Our train arrived in Chicago around four in the morning. The conductor got back on the intercom and told everyone on board where to get their tickets refunded for the mysterious explosion and delay earlier. He also informed us that it was Tuesday, October 28th, just in case anyone needed the date. We did, and we <em>weren't<em> happy to hear that. That left us only _three_ days, (technically) before the Pyanepsion Feast on the 31st.

When we exited the train, I noticed _a lot_ of Chicago Police making inquires at frazzled passengers about the strange incident on the train earlier. Paul ushered us as fast as possible away from the train and down a long hallway towards the station exit.

Jacen crossed his arms as we walked and grumped:

"Can't we go get a _refund_ for our tickets?" he pouted. Paul chuckled and turned to him.

"Sure Jacen," he replied sarcastically. "We can tell them that the Ethiopian Bull _attacked_ us, and we _DEMAND_ to compensated for the _disruption_ of our peace-of-mind!"

We all laughed, _even_ Jacen, at Paul's remark.

When we finally made it outside, I realized _why_ Chicago had the nickname 'The Windy City'. It was _freezing_. I crossed my arms and shivered. After all, the only clothes I had on were my dirt-spattered jeans, and my camp T-shirt. Jacen seemed to be in the same boat as me, but he didn't seem bothered at all. I turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Jace," I said, teeth clattering. "Aren't you freezing?"

Jacen's eyebrows rose and he looked down at his attire and shrugged.

"I get the feeling that having flame powers kind of makes me naturally _insulated,_ you know?" He replied with a cocky grin. I narrowed my eyes at him bitterly. I could stop _time_, but I _couldn't_ stop the _cold_. _Wonderful_.

Christine and Sydney both seemed fine, seeing that Christine was wearing a long sleeved shirt now, and Sydney had her red hoodie. Paul was the only one who looked slightly uncomfortable by the chill in the air, but even he seemed to handle it better than I did. I decided not to complain anymore about it.

Paul's eyes scanned the street signs as we made our way down South Canal Street.

"We need to hop on a bus to get to Millennium Park," Paul informed us. Christine tilted her head in confusion.

"Why do we _need_ to go there?" she asked. Paul scratched his head.

"Well," he began, "I figure we can ask the nature spirits if they know anything about where Lady Hecate would be…"

Christine's eyes flashed dangerously at me. I gulped and broke eye contact with her.

"I _ASSUME_," Christine added in a low, dangerous tone. "We're going to take _advantage_ of Sickle Boy's status with them?"

Paul nodded. It was _easy_ for him to do! He _didn't _have a _bi-polar girl_ who wanted to _gut_ him anytime _he_ talked to a nature spirit!

Jacen and Sydney caught each other's eyes and snickered at my flushed expression and Christine's indignant glare at me.

* * *

><p>We walked for at least another half mile before we <em>finally<em> found a bus stop on West Monroe Street. We all sat on the cold metal bench, grateful to rest our aching feet. Thankfully, we all were able to get some sleep on the train, so we were well rested but still: walking in the cold, _sucked_.

It was early in the morning, so we were the only people currently at the stop. We waited in silence for a while until a bus turned down the street and made its way toward us. Paul stood up and glanced at us.

"Well, that's our bus," he said. "Let's hope it'll take us to Millennium Park."

The bus was _warm_ which was _good_. However, the bus smelled _terrible_ which was _bad_. Jacen muttered that he was pretty sure someone must've thrown up in the seat in front of us, because we were positive that the rank smell was emanated from somewhere in front of us. Christine looked green and had her head tucked between her knees, like she was fighting off the urge to add to the rancid smell of the bus with her own contribution. Sydney was patting her on the back supportively, but even she had her hoodie scrunched up so it covered her nose. I glanced across the bus at Paul, who was trying to read his book and ignore the smell. Note, that I said _trying_. He had been on the same page for the last ten minutes, and I was _positive _that the guy wasn't even _reading_. Jacen turned to me and hissed:

"Why in the _world_ would Lady Hecate want to make _this_ city her home base?" he cried in outrage. I chuckled at him.

"Come on Jace," I said in an attempt to pacify him. "The buses in Pittsburgh _aren't_ much better…"

It was true. The Port Authority buses back home could stink _worse_ than anything you've ever smelt. That's why I was grateful that when I found out that I'd be transported to Winchester Thurston on a _school bus_. The thought of that made me feel really homesick though. I hadn't been gone from Pittsburgh for more than two days, but I couldn't help but wonder how my mom was doing. I vowed that next chance I got, I'd have to send her an Iris-Message to let her know that I was still alive and okay.

The bus ride took another twenty minutes, and as we rolled on I noticed that the city itself seemed to be waking up. It was around five in the morning, so we started to see sleepy Chicagoans making their way to work and the like. I looked at Paul who frowned at the passerby's.

"Something wrong dude?" I asked carefully. Paul sighed and turned to me.

"I just hope we can get to the park _before_ people start to show up," he told me. "It's one thing to talk to nature spirits, but it would be _really _awkward to talk to one in broad daylight, with people around."

Christine lifted her head out from between her knees and looked groggily at Paul.

"Won't the Mist _obscure_ us though?" she asked weakly. Paul scratched his head.

"It _should_," Paul answered. "But, I'd like to _avoid_ curious mortals if we can."

I nodded. I felt _awkward_ enough when I had to summon a naiad at camp to help us make an Iris-Message. I _couldn't_ imagine how _embarrassed_ I'd feel if I had mortals looking at me like I was _crazy_, or _worse_: calling the police to _report me_ for something!

* * *

><p>The bus dropped us off on South Michigan Avenue and we stopped on the sidewalk next to the park. I could see the Jay Pritzker Pavilion from above the tree line of the street. I had seen pictures, and Mr. P had told me once about a concert he attended here a few years back. I chuckled under my breath. Now that I knew Mr. P was <em>actually<em> Apollo, I found it hard to picture him wearing a band T-shirt and simply being a part of the crowd. He _probably_ was _in_ the band, for all I knew.

My thoughts about Apollo were interrupted when I heard Christine scream. I wheeled around, and was about to unleash Ananke, only to stop when I saw what the _source_ of the scream was from.

A weasel had brushed right by Christine's legs and darted off into the cover of the shrubs of the park. I cocked an eyebrow at her and commented:

"_Really_, Warrior Girl?"

Christine's eyes shot daggers at me.

"It _startled_ me!" she defended. Jacen laughed.

"I'd say it did more than _startle_ you!"

"Shut up, Jacen!"

We all made our way down the sidewalk and into the entrance of the park. We stood underneath the crisscrossing patterns of steel beams in the Great Lawn overhead and looked around. I turned to Paul.

"Umm dude?" I began awkwardly. "I don't think we'll find _any _dryads out in the open like this…"

Paul crossed his arms.

"Eddy," he sighed. "Remember Maple? She came to us because _you_ were here. She wouldn't have done that for any of us, unless _we_ looked for her. The nature spirits of the park _should_ be drawn to you, so we just have to wait for a bit."

I exchanged glances with the others, and hesitantly took a seat on the cool, damp grass of the lawn. It was still dark out, but on the horizon of Lake Michigan, I could see a slight sliver of pink light, signifying the approaching dawn. I watched the horizon for a while thinking of Apollo's sun chariot when I distinctly heard giggling and the soft patter of feet nearby.

I looked up and saw a group of dryads looking intently at me. They blushed when I made eye contact with them and I turned back to Paul who nodded at me as if to say: '_Well_?'

I chanced a glance at Christine, and immediately _wished I didn't_. She looked like she _wanted_ to rip my head off. I gulped and got to my feet slowly, brushing grass off of my jeans. Jacen gave me thumbs up and a grin, while Sydney just watched on in mild amusement.

I approached the dryad group apprehensively. They _didn't_ try to run off or anything, but they _did_ continue to whisper to one another and giggle. I felt so self-conscious. I was covered in dirt and grime from the battle on the train, and I probably looked like a _real_ mess. I was bad enough _dealing_ with girls, but a _whole group_ of them? I was _mortified_.

Who I assumed to be the leader of the little cluster of tree spirits stepped forward when I was no less than three feet away from her and said:

"We are _honored_ you have graced us with your presence, young lord." She said kindly. She had amber colored eyes, and white hair, like snow. She was clothed in a forest green chiton and was barefoot. Now that I thought about it, _all_ of the dryads were clothed in a similar fashion.

"Uh, thanks?" I replied, feeling like a loser. Honestly, I was _never_ going to get used to this, I was _sure_ of that. The lead dryad giggled.

"I am Simida," she informed me. I translated the name in my head and realized that her name was 'Birch' like the tree. I looked around the lawn, and lo and behold: a large birch tree was in one of the far corners of the area.

I nodded and introduced myself.

"Hi my name's Eddy," I said. "You _don't_ have to call me '_young lord_'."

All of the dryads gasped and looked at each other in bewilderment. Simida opened her mouth to protest, but I waved her off dejectedly.

"_OKAY_," I conceded. "Never mind, young lord is _fine_, I suppose."

All of the dryads seemed to calm down _considerably_ at that, and Simida smiled.

"What can I help you with, my lord?" she asked. I told her about our current situation. Our quest, being told to seek out Lady Hecate, and now: trying to find out _where_ to find her. Simida and the dryads were a great audience. The gasped when I told them about the attack on the train, and they all shared a dark look when I mentioned Eris, I supposed they weren't found of the Discord Goddess either. When I finished Simida was quiet for a moment and then clapped her hands together.

"GALE!" she called out. I blinked at her. What did _that _mean?

"_Excuse me_?" I stammered. Simida glanced around me, like she was expecting something. I was about to ask her again, when I smelt something terrible from below me. I glanced down and nearly yelled out loud.

_Right_ on my sneaker was a large weasel, which glared up at me with _narrowed_ eyes. I couldn't figure out what it _wanted_! Was it going to _bite_ me?

Simida grinned and gestured to the over-sized weasel.

"My lord, _this_ is Gale," she informed me. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, and _how_ does _this_ help me?" I muttered. Gale farted and glared _harder_ at me, growling. I laughed. Did this thing just _fart_? I stopped laughing as the smell reached my nostrils, and _gagged_. I noticed that Simida and the other dryads had backed up a few paces, so they didn't have to _smell_ the fart.

Simida giggled and gestured to Gale again, who was now making her way up my clothes and sat on my shoulder. I was NOT happy about having a mean, fart-busting rodent on my shoulder, but I wasn't going to risk getting bitten by saying that out loud.

"Gale is a servant of Lady Hecate," Simida informed. "Just as we nature spirits serve your father and by association: you. Gale always knows the location of Lady Hecate, and she will guide you to her."

I blinked and chanced a glance at Gale who growled at me in response. I paled and turned back to Simida.

"Can't one of you show me?" I stammered. Gale farted again and I was tempted to toss her from my shoulder.

Simida giggled.

"Silly," she admonished. "Dryads _canno_t leave their tree's domain. It is our life force. I _could_ do so if you were to grant me your father's blessing, but I sense that you have already granted it to another."

I blinked and nodded. I forgot that the _only_ reason Maple was able to guide us was because my dad allowed her to leave. Simida seemed to understand my confusion because she went on to say:

"The Blessing of Kronos is a rare gift that can only be given _once_," she informed me. "It is a most precious gift. The maiden who received it from you is very blessed and lucky."

I smiled, thinking of Maple.

"Yeah, she was a great person." I said fondly. The dryads behind Simida giggled again, and I flushed pink, realizing that I said that _out loud_. Simida just chuckled.

"Nevertheless, Gale will take you to her master, my lord."

I glanced at Gale who continued glaring at me, and I glared back.

"You _better_ not fart on me _again_." I grumbled. Simida and the other dryads laughed.

* * *

><p>I thanked Simida and bid farewell to the other dryads, and made my way back to my friends, who were sitting in the middle of the lawn, waiting expectantly for me. When they noticed the giant weasel on my shoulder they all jumped. Christine screamed again, and Gale growled in irritation.<p>

"WHAT IS _THAT_ EDDY?" Christine wailed. Paul rubbed his face and glared at her.

"It's a _weasel_, Christine." He answered in an annoyed tone. Jacen's eyebrows rose and he approached Gale cautiously and examined her.

"That's a pretty big weasel," he commented. "Wonder how it got so big?"

Gale snarled and farted again. Jacen blinked, and stared in astonishment for a moment, and then…

He fell right onto the ground _laughing_ his butt off. Sydney giggled and Christine looked offended. Paul chuckled, and I held my nose and glared at Gale, who acted like she did _nothing_ wrong. How is this thing supposed to lead us? I thought in irritation. Gale glanced at me, and leapt off of my shoulder and began to trot off. I glanced at my friends, and Jacen, who was _still_ on the ground, watched Gale curiously.

"Where is it _going_?" he asked. I sighed and helped my best friend to his feet.

"_First off_ Jace," I said. "Gale is the weasel's name, and _she's_ a _girl_."

Christine sniffed.

"What an _unladylike_ girl," she muttered. "Girls _shouldn't_ pass gas like _that_!"

Sydney rolled her eyes at Christine and said:

"Well Crissy," she laughed. "That's true, but Gale's a _weasel_, _not_ a _human_ girl!"

Christine blushed and turned away in embarrassment.

"I KNOW _THAT_!" She defended. We all just laughed at her, and I turned to Paul.

"Gale is _actually_ a servant of Lady Hecate, from what the nature spirits told me," I informed him. Paul's eyes widened. "Simida, the dryad's leader told me that to get to Lady Hecate, we'd _need_ to have Gale as a guide, because she is the _only_ one that can find her."

Paul nodded, and he turned to look at Gale who was growling at us a few feet away in irritation, and sighed.

"Well, if she can _really_ lead us…" he began, as we walked towards Gale.

"Let's follow the gas-passing weasel."


End file.
